Beware of Changes in Vision

Beware of subtle but gradual changes in your vision. They may be telling you much about your current vision health.

• You find that you just can't stand too bright on sunny days but see much better on cloudy days.

• You find colors not as bright as they were before: everything seems to have a thin film or a sheet of haze over it.

• You find that occasionally things within your vision seem to have a double image; blinking your eyes, they seem to be fine again.

• You find that, for no apparent reason, all of a sudden your vision seems to have improved significantly; that is, you can see without your reading glasses. Miraculously, you seem to have acquired "second vision" late in your life.

• You find that, conversely, your vision has deteriorated dramatically; you need another new pair of glasses even though you just got your current one not too long ago.

• You find that, all of a sudden, all the things that you see seem to be coated with a yellowish tint.

If you experience some or all of the above changes in vision, beware! You may have developed cataract in one or both of your eyes. Have an ophthalmologists look into your eyes to see if you have developed, or in the process of developing, a cataract in one or both of your eyes.

A cataract is an eye disorder in which the eye has lost its transparency in the normally clear lenses of the eyes. If a cataract develops in your non-dominant eye, you may not even notice it, although it may have been progressing steadily for some time. No matter what, the development of a cataract is often  subtle and gradual -- just like in aging, you don't lose your muscular strength overnight.

One of the main causes of cataract development is aging. As you continue to age, your body's overall function becomes compromised, including your vision. The main contributor to aging is oxidation. Your body needs oxygen to maintain life. Unfortunately, what gives life also takes away life in the form of carbon dioxide; this is how the Creator can ensure human mortality. In the process of oxidation, destructive free radicals are formed -- just like the rust in iron due to constant exposure to air, or the pages of an old book turning yellow. 

Of course, there are many other reasons why cataracts are formed in your eyes, and they include your genes, the environment, and lifestyle, such as drinking and smoking.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau