It’s common for people to give little thought to cataracts in their younger years, only to later realize that it is a subject they should know more about to maintain healthy eyes. Unsurprisingly, the professionals at Mittleman Eye hear a lot of questions about cataracts from our patients of a certain age, which we are happy to help answer:  

How Do I Know If I Have Cataracts?

It is a good idea to be aware of the symptoms so that you know what to look out for. Symptoms of cataracts may include:

Obviously, it will take a doctor to confirm if you have cataracts. If you are concerned that you may have cataracts, come see the team at Mittleman Eye.  

Will I Need to Get Surgery?

Believe it or not, plenty of people who have cataracts do not require surgery. It really depends on how your cataracts affect your vision. If your cataracts cause serious cloudiness in your vision and/or make it especially difficult to see at night, then you are likely a good candidate for cataract surgery. On the other hand, if the cataracts are creating minimal impairment and your existing prescriptions do a good job of mitigating the problems, surgery may not be necessary.    

That said, the same cataracts that are relatively harmless now could pose more problems as the years progress, which is why it’s important to have a doctor continue to monitor them at regular intervals.

At What Age Should I Start Worrying about Cataracts?

For starters, cataracts are highly treatable, so there is no reason to panic. Most people who get cataracts will see them manifest after the point they become senior citizens. Since cataracts become more prevalent as people age, the affliction rate is higher in an 80-year-old than a 65-year-old.

Still, it would be a mistake to assume cataracts are a problem that only impacts the elderly. A sizable portion of people will start to develop cataracts as early as their 40s (though rarely do they impair vision at this age,) and some babies are even born with congenital cataracts. Getting regular eye examinations, particularly at the point of being middle-aged, is the best way to keep on top of cataracts.

For Additional Questions, Ask the Doctors in Person

These may be some of the more common questions, but if you are like many patients at Mittleman Eye, you probably have several more. To have an expert address all of your concerns, call or email the Mittleman Eye team for a consultation.