If your glasses seem to work well for a while and then your eyesight becomes blurry again, another prescription may not be the whole answer. At North Suburban Eye Associates, P.C., we evaluate patients in Wakefield and Winchester for cataracts and other causes of shifting vision.C. Douglas Evans, MD has practiced with our team since 1993, specializes in cataract and refractive surgery, and has been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology since 1991.
Why Can Cataracts Affect Your Glasses Prescription?
A cataract develops when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. As the lens loses clarity, it can alter how light focuses inside the eye, sometimes changing the prescription needed for sharper sight.
At first, updated glasses may help. As a cataract progresses, however, you may need new lenses sooner than expected or find that they no longer restore the same level of detail. Other clues include glare, difficulty driving at night, halos around lights, or colors that seem less vivid. Our article on how cataracts can affect daily life discusses these symptoms in more detail.
Does a Changing Prescription Always Mean Cataracts?
No. Needing a new prescription does not automatically point to a cataract. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, dry eye, and other eye conditions can also affect how well you see through your current lenses.
A comprehensive exam can help show whether clouding of the natural lens is affecting your sight or whether another eye issue may be responsible. A routine exam can update your glasses or contact lens prescription, while a medical eye evaluation looks more closely at symptoms or diagnosed eye conditions. Our guide to routine and medical eye exams explains how these visits differ.
When Is It Time to Discuss Cataract Surgery?
Having a cataract does not mean surgery is immediately necessary. In earlier stages, brighter lighting or a new prescription may still make reading, driving, and other tasks more comfortable. Cataract surgery is usually discussed when reduced vision begins interfering with the activities that matter to you.
Age alone does not determine the timing. Our article on age and cataract surgery decisions explains why the conversation depends more on how well you can function day to day. If cataract surgery is recommended, the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens. We can also discuss which IOL option may fit your vision needs.
If your prescription keeps changing or new glasses no longer give you the improvement you expect, contact us to arrange an eye evaluation with North Suburban Eye Associates, P.C. in Wakefield or Winchester, MA. Call 781-245-5200 to make an appointment.
