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How to Manage the Symptoms of Your Cataracts
Posted by: Georgia Eye Associates in Cataracts
There is no doubt that living with cataracts comes with its share of challenges. Tasks that you used to perform with little thought — like driving to the grocery store or reading a recipe — suddenly seem to take an incredible amount of time and energy.
Many people find that eventually, cataract surgery is the best option to restore their vision and help them get their life back. But not everyone is ready for that step right away.
And fortunately, there are a number of ways you can manage the symptoms of your cataracts on your own until cataract surgery is absolutely necessary. Let’s look at six ways you can successfully manage the symptoms of your cataracts:
- Ask for help
If you have always considered yourself a pretty independent person, you may have a hard time asking for help. But you likely have a number of friends or family members who would be happy to drive you to appointments or help out with household chores. Not only will this make your daily life easier, it will help you not feel so alone.
- Improve the lighting in your home
Since dim vision is a common problem for cataract patients, your best option is to improve the lighting in your home. This will keep you from squinting all the time and could reduce your risk of accidentally falling and hurting yourself.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Okay, obviously eating more leafy green vegetables won’t make your cataracts go away. But eating healthier could help slow the progression and it will make you feel better overall.
- Reduce your nighttime driving
Cataracts can make it extremely difficult to drive at night. Since halos will often begin to form around light sources, you may start to feel blinded by every streetlamp or oncoming vehicle. For your own safety, try to minimize your nighttime driving as much as possible.
- Get a stronger prescription
Often, cataract patients find that their former prescription just isn’t cutting it anymore. Check with your doctor to ensure that you have the prescription that is right for you. Keep in mind that updating your prescription may help during the early stages of cataracts, but as your cataracts progress, your glasses will not make a difference.
- Get regular eye exams
Of course, you will need to work with your ophthalmologist to manage your cataracts going forward. Make sure you stay on top of your eye exams and let your doctor know immediately about any problems you are having. And if you decide that you are ready to consider cataract surgery, we would love to help you get started. Contact our Buckhead office to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors to find out how cataract surgery can help!
