IT’S A TOP CAUSE OF BLINDNESS IN THE USA. You cannot prevent them with certainty, but your lifestyle choices may lower your chances of getting them. Did you guess correctly? If your answer is cataracts, you are spot on. Today we look at lifestyle and cataracts.
At first, visual cloudiness caused by a cataract may only affect part of your eye’s lens. You may not be aware of your visual compromise. With an increased cataract size, your lens becomes cloudy and distorts the light passing through it.
Cataract-related blindness remains unacceptably high, but fortunately, rates are declining worldwide. The prevalence among adults older than 50 is highest in western sub-Saharan Africa, with a rate of 6 percent.
Let’s start with some basics about cataracts before we pivot to the role lifestyle can play in reducing your chances of getting them.
“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter — often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter — in the eye.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Cataract basics
Imagine the sensation of looking through a slightly fogged-up window, a view that makes it more challenging for you to drive a car (especially at night), see your friend’s expression well, or read.
A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear eye lens. Most of the time, cataracts develop slowly and don’t initially impact your vision. Over time, however, cataracts eventually will cloud your vision.
Many turn to better lighting or eyeglasses to deal with these early symptoms. But if the lens opacity interferes with your activities of daily living, you may need cataract surgery.
But today, I want to focus on maneuvers that may delay (or allow you to avoid) such a remedy for cataracts. I concede that cataract surgery is generally a safe and effective management tool.
Cataract symptoms
The good folks at the Mayo Clinic (USA) explain that signs and symptoms of cataracts include:
- Clouded, dim, or blurred vision
- Progressively worsening challenges with night vision
- Light sensitivity
- A need for brighter light for activities such as reading
- Seeing “halos” around lights
- Frequent changes in prescriptions for contact lenses or eyeglasses
- Yellowing or fading of colors
- Double vision in a single eye
Please get an eye exam if you have visual changes. Sudden changes (such as flashes of light, double vision, sudden eye pain, or unusual sudden headache) should prompt an immediate visit to the doctor.
“The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Cataract risk factors
Researchers have identified several risk factors for the development of cataracts, including:
- Age
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
- Sunlight exposure
- Poor lifestyle habits, including being sedentary, metabolic syndrome, and malnutrition
- Diabetes
- HIV/AIDS
- Systemic corticosteroid use
- Lead exposure
- Statin drug use (maybe)
Let me get a bit granular about two of these risk factors. There appears to be a dose-response relationship between ultraviolet B exposure in sunlight and cataract risk: The more exposure, the higher the risk. Some of the lens damage caused by smoking may be reversible upon quitting.
Lifestyle and your cataract risk
I am unaware of any studies demonstrating ways to eliminate the risk of developing cataracts or slowing their progression. Still, several strategies may be helpful to you.
First, have regular eye examinations. Other potential risk-reducing maneuvers include:
- Avoid smoking.
- Manage health problems (please see above) that increase your cataract risk.
- Eat well, incorporating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants within these foods promote eye health. Of course, you get other health benefits, too.
- Get physical activity.
- Wear sunglasses. Solar ultraviolet light may contribute to cataract development. Don those sunglasses to block ultraviolet B (UVB) rays when you’re outdoors. (The coolest amongst us may wear them indoors, too.)
- Reduce alcohol use. Avoid excessive alcohol use.
While there is no sure-fire way to dodge cataracts, some lifestyle changes may reduce your risk while promoting overall health. Thank you for joining me in this look at lifestyle and cataracts.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
