Early warning signs of cataracts that you shouldn’t ignore
Cataracts are one of the most common eye conditions in the world.
Around 20 million people in the world are blind from cataracts, making it the leading cause of blindness across the globe, according to statistics from WHO.
The disease involves the clouding of the lens of the eyes which prevents clear vision, with sufferers likening it to living life behind a foggy window.
According to the US National Eye Institute (NEI), there are six warning signs of cataracts that people need to look out for.
1. Cloudy or blurry vision
While the blur from cataracts may seem small initially, the effect usually increases over time.
2. Colours appear faded
Cataracts can cause colours to appear faded or even cause a yellow tint as the disease progresses, this is because the clumps of protein clouding your lens may turn yellow or brown.
3. Glare
Do you see a halo appear around lights? If you have issues with headlights, lamps or the sunlight being too bright, this could be a symptom of cataracts.
4. Poor night vision
Cataracts can even impair your ability to do activities at night such as driving. A study from Curtin University in Australia found that treating cataracts reduced the risk of car accidents by 13 per cent.
5. Double vision or multiple images in one eye
Although double vision can be caused by various things, the lens clouding in a cataract can cause diffraction.
6. Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses
If your eyesight is changing rapidly, it is recommended that you visit your eye doctor to find out the cause.
Luckily, cataracts are generally straightforward to treat and those who suffer from them can visit their doctor to receive information about surgery.
However, those who live in the world’s poorest countries are unable to access affordable eye-care and surgery.
While the risk of cataracts increases as you get older, certain diseases, personal behaviour and the environment are risk factors to the eye disease, which means that even young children can develop a cataract.
Children get cataracts from genetic disorders, infections, malnutrition, trauma in the eyes and water-borne infections.
Research from Vision 2020 Australia also shows that those in poverty are the group of people in most dire need of eye surgery, with 90 per cent of vision-impaired people living in developing countries.
Nhung, 6, lives with her family in a remote village in Vietnam.
Nhung, like most little girls, loves to run around with her friends and dreams of being a writer one day.
She is an enthusiastic student at school but struggles to read the blackboard due to complications from a cataract in her eye, which causes her pain.
Because she lives in a remote village, the closest hospital is hours away.
Miracles Day, an annual initiative by international aid organisation CBM Australia, aims to give sight-saving surgery to children and adults like Nhung, and those suffering from cataracts in poverty-stricken areas.
For just $33 Australians can donate to fund a life-transforming 12-minute cataract operation.
“We are working extremely hard to ensure our supported eye health services are inclusive of and accessible to the poorest and most marginalised people,” CBM Australia wrote in a statement.
“This includes people with disabilities, disadvantaged women and girls, minority groups, those who have missed out on education and those who live in isolated geographic regions.”
The fundraising day, held on August 16, has a goal to fund 35,000 people in the world’s poorest countries to receive the Miracle gift of sight, which will require Australians to band together to donate $1,155,000.
Last year, $1,081,112 was donated and as a result 33,785 people in some of the world’s poorest countries had their eyesight restored and lives changed because of it.
If a priority was placed on tackling the two major causes of vison impairment by providing refractive services and offering cataract surgery across the world, two thirds of vision-impaired people would recover their sight.
Will you be part of the solution?
Give the Miracle gift of sight by calling 131 226 or visiting cbm.org.au/miraclesday.
THIS IS SPONSORED CONTENT BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH CBM.