How do cataracts change your daily habits?

Originally written October 19, 2021

It can’t be overstated how important your eyes are to your overall health. Beyond being able to see the world around you, your eye health can play a factor in many of your body’s other functions. When you develop cataracts, your lifestyle changes as well. The following are some examples of how cataracts can adversely impact your daily activities:

Your ability to read

Cataracts create cloudy, foggy vision in the affected eye as the protein in the lens opacify over time. This results in a filter effect with less light reaching the retina, making you require brighter light in order to read. According to Dr. Craig Self, a CEENTA ophthalmologist from our Statesville office, “The growing cataract can change your glasses prescription, including more nearsightedness or farsightedness. These symptoms can make it difficult to read books and computer screens, or to see street and highway signs at a normal distance when driving.”

Your ability to eat

Eating involves more than just your senses of touch, taste, and smell. It is also a visual experience. Eating is always more pleasurable when one can see what is on the plate before putting it in their mouth. That process can be affected by cataracts as reading labels and nutritional information becomes more difficult. Cataracts can also cause colors to appear dull and muted, limiting your ability to visually tell if foods like fruit and vegetables are at their optimal ripeness.

Your ability to sleep

Sleep and sight may seem like a paradox, but your eye health could play a major role in your sleep habits. Cataracts reduce the amount of light traveling to the retina, which could significantly misalign the way your body regulates sleep (circadian rhythm). This can create uneven sleep patterns, drowsiness, and cognitive issues.

Your ability to perform daily tasks

Hand-eye coordination is the ability to perform activities using your eyes and hands simultaneously. Examples of this include reaching for objects, playing golf, parking a car, and sewing. The cloudy, film-like obstruction of your eyesight from cataracts can negatively impact depth perception and make hand-eye coordination tasks like this more difficult, taking the enjoyment out of your regular hobbies.

Cataracts can make many of your bodily processes difficult, but finding the right treatment has never been easier. At CEENTA, our ophthalmologists can walk you through the entire process of cataract surgery and relieve fears, anxiety, and misconceptions and get your life back on track. Dr. Self concurs by saying, “We offer the latest in lens technology and offer customized treatment plans based on each individual’s preferences and goals. Improving your vision and overall quality of life is our primary goal.”

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Craig Self at our Statesville office today for cloud-free vision.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our eye doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.