The matter of the eyes… it must be admitted that the older we get, the less effective our vision may become, especially if we do not take care of our eyes early on. Various cataract symptoms will definitely appear. Let’s see which type of cataract disease these eye and vision symptoms indicate. If you know and get checked and treated promptly, you can extend the lifespan of your eyesight for a very long time, even in old age.
Cataract
Since this disease develops slowly and accumulates, it becomes more apparent as age increases. The symptoms of cataracts are a gradual clouding of vision, seeing less clearly. However, a prominent symptom is that you cannot see at all when exposed to bright light or sunlight. But in dim or dark places, vision returns to normal because the pupil dilates, allowing more light to enter. In severe cases, a white haze may be seen in the center of the pupil.
Glaucoma
This disease is caused by increased pressure inside the eyeball, resulting in eye pain as if the eye is being squeezed, redness, swelling, and inflammation. It may cause pain severe enough to induce nausea and vomiting. Vision becomes blurry, unclear, and details are not sharp. You may see rainbow-colored halos radiating around light sources. In acute glaucoma, there are three clear symptoms: eye pain, redness, and blurred vision. If left untreated for a long time, blind spots will appear in the vision. If these spots enlarge to cover the entire visual field, it may lead to blindness.
Pterygium / Pinguecula
These are growths caused by prolonged exposure of the eyes to sunlight, dust, and smoke, leading to fibrous tissue formation in the eye. It is possible to have no symptoms at all, or there may be redness, swelling, itching, irritation, burning, and tearing. Blurred vision occurs only when the pterygium extends onto the cornea. Therefore, pterygium and pinguecula are types of cataracts that should be regularly checked for risk, especially for those who work outdoors and are frequently exposed to sunlight, dust, and smoke, so treatment can be started early.
Macular Degeneration
There are symptoms that may be mistaken for cataracts, but in fact, these symptoms indicate macular degeneration, such as difficulty seeing clearly at night or inability to adjust vision to darkness, unclear central vision, seeing black spots or gray circles in the center of the image, distorted, hazy, or blurry images. If you experience these symptoms, you should see an ophthalmologist immediately.