Living with Cataracts-Coping Strategies and Support Resources

Cataracts are a common eye condition where the lens of the eye becomes progressively cloudy, leading to blurred vision. As cataracts develop, they can cause symptoms such as difficulty seeing at night, sensitivity to light and seeing halos around lights. This gradual loss of clear vision can impede everyday activities like reading, driving, recognizing faces and navigating in low-light conditions. Over time, untreated cataracts can significantly impair overall quality of life, making routine tasks increasingly challenging.

Living with cataracts involves implementing coping strategies and support resources until, inevitably, surgery will be necessary to remove the cataract, replacing it with an intraocular lens to improve vision. These include:

• Regular Eye Exams: Regular eye exams are crucial for monitoring the progression of cataracts because they allow your ophthalmologist to track changes in your vision and determine the best course of action. These exams can help identify when cataracts begin to significantly impair your daily activities, enabling timely intervention such as adjusting your prescription or considering surgery.

• Optimize Lighting: As we age, our eyes lose the ability to quickly adjust to changes in brightness levels. This means our pupils don’t dilate as much in bright light and take longer to constrict in darkness. This can be caused by delayed rhodopsin regeneration (DRR) which occurs due to changes in the retina’s photoreceptors. Enhance the lighting in your home and workspace. Use bright, non-glare light bulbs and install additional lamps where needed. Proper lighting can reduce eye strain and make tasks easier to manage.

• Use Magnification: Magnifying glasses, large-print books and electronic devices with adjustable font sizes can help enhance the ability to read, perform close-up tasks and navigate daily activities more comfortably. These tools compensate for the reduced visual acuity caused by cataracts, making everyday tasks more manageable. Explore using assistive devices like talking clocks, large-print calendars and audio books to help with daily activities.

• Reduce Glare: Aging often brings about a struggle with glare sensitivity, a significant issue exacerbated by increased light scatter and reduced pupil size. Cataracts, the leading cause of this sensitivity, cloud the eye’s lens which normally focuses light onto the retina. In cataracts, proteins clump and create cloudy areas that scatter light, worsening glare sensitivity from direct lighting and contributing to blurry vision when untreated. Wear sunglasses with UV protection and a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors to minimize glare from the sun. Indoors, use anti-glare screens for your devices and adjust window coverings to control sunlight.

• Improve Contrast: Increase the contrast in your home by using colored tape on steps, handrails and door edges. High-contrast items, like white dishes on a dark tablecloth, can make everyday tasks easier.

• Create a Safe Home Environment: Remove tripping hazards like loose rugs and ensure that furniture is arranged to allow easy navigation. Install handrails in stairways and grab bars in the bathroom for added safety.

• Maintain a Healthy Diet: Maintaining a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins (especially A, C and E), and minerals like zinc and selenium can significantly impact cataract development. These nutrients help protect the eyes from oxidative stress and damage which are linked to the formation and progression of cataracts. A balanced diet supports overall eye health and may slow the onset or progression of cataracts.

• Stay Active: Engage in regular physical activity to improve overall health. Activities like walking, swimming and yoga can enhance your physical fitness and contribute to better eye health.

• Manage Ongoing or Chronic Health Conditions: Keep conditions like diabetes and hypertension under control since they can exacerbate cataracts.

By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can adapt to life with cataracts and maintain your independence and quality of life. In addition, further resources for living with cataracts include the American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org), the National Eye Institute (nei.nih.gov) and VisionAware (visionaware.org).

For a comprehensive eye exam, contact Campbell Cunningham Taylor & Haun in Maryville .