Cataracts: Why They Occur and When You Should Call Your Eye Doctor

Cataracts occur when the eyes natural lens becomes clouded with clumped up proteins. These proteins block light as it enters your eye which causes your vision to become gradually more blurry and if left unchecked could result in complete loss of vision.

These clouded lenses negatively impact your quality of life by making it difficult to read or drive a car—particularly when you are driving at night—among many other things.

Cataracts for the most part develop very slowly, in the beginning of your cataract development you wont even be able to notice a difference in your vision, but over time your sight will get worse. Oddly, with cataracts there is a point where your vision will become much better, but this is very brief and then the quality of your sight will drop dramatically.

You will be able to counteract the negative effects cataracts have on your vision at first with proper lighting and strong eyeglasses, but eventually you will need to undergo cataract surgery to assure you don’t go blind and maintain a good quality of life. If not removed, the cataract will continue to grow larger and cloud more and more of your eyes natural lens.

When is a good time to call my eye doctor?

Well, the best way to catch cataracts early is to schedule your routine eye exams so your eye doctor can take a look and ensure your eyes are in tip top shape. If you notice a sudden dramatic slip in vision however you should consult your eye doctor immediately.