What are Cataracts?

Cataracts are a normal occurrence in an aging eye: your transparent eye lens begins to cloud over with the gradual build-up of naturally-occurring proteins in the eye. Instead of allowing light to enter properly, the cloudy lens creates a foggy appearance to everything you see.

This process does not happen overnight. It is typically a slow development that makes it increasingly difficult to see things clearly and perform daily tasks.

Symptoms of Cataracts

While cataracts are typically associated with aging, they can also occur due to disease, injury, birth defect or certain medications. Symptoms can include:

Hazy/blurry/cloudy vision
Glare and starbursts with night driving
Dull appearance of colors
Vision takes on a yellowish/brownish tint
Eye sensitivity in bright light

Types of Cataracts

You can have a cataract in one or both eyes. The position of your cataract will affect what type of vision disturbance you have.

Nuclear cataract: occurs in the center of the lens, often creating temporary near vision improvement
Cortical cataract: occurs around the edges of the lens, often resulting in spoke-like opacities that move to the center of the lens
Subcapsular cataract: occurs at the back of the lens, often masking symptoms until the later stages

Cataract Treatment in Park City, UT

While there is no cure for cataracts, cataract surgery is a very common and effective procedure to restore clear vision. It is possible, and sometimes even recommended, that you live with cataracts for years before undergoing surgery if they are not affecting your daily life. At Mountain Valley Eye Institute, we perform exams to assess your cataract development and only recommend cataract surgery in Park City when we feel the time is right.

What are Cataracts?