When your eye doctor discovers you have cataracts, he or she may not recommend surgery right away. If your early cataracts do not interfere with your vision, your doctor may watch how they progress over the years and decide when the time is right for surgery. If your cataracts progress slowly, you may be able to put the surgery off for many years. However, you don't want to wait too long or your vision will be affected. Here are some of the advantages of having cataract surgery when the time is right.
Improved Night Vision
When your cataracts get to a certain stage, you'll begin to have problems with glare from sunlight and you'll probably see halos around street lights. That means it will be unsafe for you to drive at sunset and after dark. Your regular vision may not be affected too much yet, so you may opt to postpone your surgery. In that case, you'll have to give up driving at night, and that could affect the quality of your life. It might make it difficult to get home in the evenings if you're still working, plus you'll have to avoid nightlife unless someone else drives. Having cataract surgery will eliminate problems with night driving so you can resume your normal lifestyle.
Reduced Risk Of Falling
One drawback of postponing cataract surgery is your vision gradually gets …show more content…
worse as you get older and are more prone to falling. You may not judge the distance of steps very well. You may not see things like a curled rug or a pet lying on the floor. Falling and breaking an arm or hip is something you definitely want to avoid later in life when it takes you longer to recover. It's important to have sharp eyesight to reduce your risk of falling.
Improved Eyesight
It's easy to get used to blurry vision.
If you can see fairly well otherwise, you may ignore the fact you can't read fine print on food cartons or medicine bottles. If your eyesight is affected to the point where you have problems reading, watching television, doing your hobbies, or going about daily life, you should talk to your eye doctor about having cataract surgery. Clear vision helps you stay active and helps you avoid making medication mistakes. It might even be possible for your doctor to fix your other vision problems at the same time you have your cataracts removed depending on what type of artificial lens is
implanted.
Of course, there are many things to consider about having cataract surgery. Your general health is important too. If you have other medical problems, it might be best to have cataract surgery early on rather than waiting to have surgery when another progressive disease has advanced to the point where having the procedure is more difficult on you. So keep in mind, while your doctor may recommend waiting to have cataract surgery, that doesn't mean you have to put if off until your condition is advanced. Visit your eye doctor regularly, and together you can consider your individual circumstances, and decide when the time is right for cataract surgery.