Cloudy Vision (and How to Fix It!)
Cloudy Vision (and How to Fix It!)
By: Graham R. Stetson, OD, MS
There are many reasons why your vision may be cloudy, but for people “of a certain age” one of the most common causes is cataracts. Cataracts are a condition where the crystalline lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and can affect your vision. If you collect enough birthdays, you will end up developing them.
This process typically begins around the age of 60, though there are instances where they may begin at a younger age. In rare cases, people are born with cataracts or develop them early in life, though these generally do not get worse over time or significantly affect vision.
For most people, cataracts will affect their eyesight and, if affected enough, they can be removed by a surgeon. The crystalline lens gets cloudy when the precise arrangement of its proteins is disrupted. This happens gradually throughout life, but there are several other factors that can accelerate that process. Some of these factors are UV radiation exposure, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, hypertension, smoking, and the use of certain medications such as corticosteroids.
Common symptoms of cataracts include blurry vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, difficulty with night vision, difficulty reading, glare and halos/starbursts around lights, a rapidly changing eyeglass prescription, double vision in only one eye, and the fading or yellowing of colors.
Cataracts can be detected and evaluated through a comprehensive eye examination. The testing for cataracts typically involves vision and prescription testing and a dilated eye evaluation, though cataracts can be assessed to a lesser extent without dilating the eyes.
There are two pieces of good news regarding cataracts: They have almost no potential to permanently affect eye health or vision, and they can be removed through surgery which typically improves vision significantly.
Cataract surgery is the most performed surgery in the world and the United States; millions are performed in the US annually. The surgery is normally brief, the recovery is relatively short, and vision improves rapidly after surgery. Better still, modern lens implants mean that people are typically less reliant on visual correction after surgery. There are several different types of lens implants used during cataract surgery, and some can even help people see at distance and near with little to no help from visual correction.
Ultimately, cataracts cannot be prevented or avoided. However, their development can be slowed by managing systemic health conditions, refraining from tobacco use, protecting the eyes from UV radiation, and a consistent intake of vitamin C.
Annual comprehensive eye examinations are crucial for detecting and monitoring cataracts, as well as other eye diseases and problems that can cloud your vision.
