7 Silent Signs You Might

Have Eye Cataracts 白内

障
By Hana Hong, RD.com
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in
those over the age of 40, but the symptoms can be
difficult to pick up 改善；好转；增强. Here are the
warning signs to watch for, say eye specialists 眼科
医生 .

PHOTO:

SHUTTERSTOCK

What are eye cataracts?

Eye cataracts, an eye condition that has affected 2.5 million Canadians, is one of the
most common eye disorders 失调；紊乱；不适；疾病 in the world. Cataracts are a
cloudy or opaque/oʊˈpeɪk/ 不透明的；不透光的；浑浊的 area on the crystalline 晶
状的；透明的；晶莹的 lens（眼球的）晶状体、(contact lens 隐形眼镜) of the
eye that develops over time. Despite being so common, most cataract cases aren’t
caught until they’ve progressed because they’re painless 无痛的 and the loss of sight
is subtle 不易察觉的；不明显的；微妙的. Either both or one eyes can suffer: to
diagnose the condition, optometrists 眼镜商；验光师 look for a yellowing in the
lens of the eye and an opacity 不透明性；模糊 in the back capsule.（动物的）囊，
被膜

Check out the foods that can improve your eyesight.

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Cloudy or blurry 模糊不清的

vision
First, always take steps to take care of your eyes. With cataracts, you might have a
localized 在小范围内的；局部的 blurred 模糊不清的 spot or a generalized 普遍的；
概括性的；全面的 decrease in vision; either way 两者都一样(one way or the
other), impaired 受损的；损坏的；出毛病的 eyesight will likely be the first thing
you notice. A cataract will start out 开始从事，着手（某工作）；从业 small and
initially have very little effect on your vision, though you may notice the world
beginning to resemble 看起来像；显得像；像 an impressionist painting or a
cloudy piece of glass. “Blurry 模糊不清的 vision is the number one symptom of
cataracts,” says Joseph Fishkin, MD, comprehensive(不要与 comprehensible（易于
理解的）或 understanding（善解人意的）混淆)ophthalmologist /ɑːfθæl
ˈmɑːlədʒɪst/眼科医生 and cataract surgeon 外科医生. “Blurred vision can be caused
by many different problems but, as cataracts develop, vision gets more blurry over
time. The natural lens in our eye helps light focus properly, and this normally clear
lens slowly becomes more cloudy.” Because this is difficult to differentiate from other
diseases such as glaucoma /ɡlɔːˈkoʊmə/青光眼, it’s important to consult your
optometrist as often as possible if you notice these changes.

Find out why you always have watery 水的；似水的；含水的 eyes.

PHOTO

: SHUTTERSTOCK

Decreased colour perception

知觉；感知
Due to the clouding of the eye, colours can become less vibrant /ˈvaɪbrənt/鲜艳的；
醒目的 and increasingly muddy 多泥的；泥泞的;灰暗的；暗淡的 (muddy
green/brown 暗绿色╱褐色)over time. “Real” whites will appear much more yellow
in comparison. Because this occurs at such a slow and gradual pace, most patients
won’t notice colour changes until after surgery is done to remove one or both
cataracts. “When people develop cataracts, there is a marked fading or yellowing of
colours, which is sometimes noticed,” says Michael Nordlund, MD of Cincinnati Eye
Institute. “One of the most prominent improvements in vision after cataract surgery
is a marked improvement in colour vision. Patients often comment following surgery
that they don’t ever remember seeing such vibrant colours. In fact, we are just
restoring 恢复（某种情况或感受）the colour vision of their youth.”

Learn how to spot the signs of a dangerous eye infection.感染；传染病

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Sensitivity to light and glare

刺眼的光

You may notice that what used to be a comfortable level of light is now too
bothersome 引起麻烦的；困扰人的 and making you cringe 畏缩；怯退. Lamps 台
灯, headlights 车辆的）前灯，头灯, and the sun will become your biggest nemesis
难以战胜的对手; 难以对付的事情:, and the light emanating 产生；表现；显示
from them will fan out （使）展开，散开，成扇形散开 like a halo 晕，晕圈:光环.
Because cataracts scatter 散开；四散；使分散；much of the light entering the eye,
optometrists report that this symptom will be very common. “As a cataract develops,
light does not have a clear path to the back of the eye, and it becomes increasingly
difficult for a person to see clearly,” James Schumer, MD, ophthalmologist, says.

Here’s how to tell the difference between pink eye and allergies 过敏 .

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Difficulty driving at night

Because cataracts make it difficult to balance the contrast between the darkness and
bright lights from oncoming 迎面而来的；即将来临的 traffic, most affected people
will experience trouble driving at night. If blaring headlights and luminous 夜光的；
发光的；发亮的 street lamps are giving you a headache, you may want to get
checked out, notes Shoshana Ungerleider, MD, internal medicine physician at Sutter
Health’s California Pacific Medical Center. “Patients often complain of a problem with
night driving and reading road signs. If you notice these and/or frequent changes in
your eyeglass or contact lens prescription 处方，药方, make an appointment to see
your eye doctor for an exam.”
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Trouble reading fine print

According to All About Vision, the lens inside the eye is comparable to a camera lens,
focusing light onto the retina /ˈretənə/视网膜 and letting us see things clearly both
up close and far away. This lens is mostly comprised of water and protein 蛋白质,
and the protein is arranged in such a way that allows light to pass through it. Because
cataracts cause the protein to clump 聚集；被聚集成群 together, small print may
become difficult to discern（=make out）看出，分辨出，听出 in the eye’s
refractive 折射的 mirror. Scott MacRae, MD, ophthalmologist and chairman of the
Public Health Committee with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, cites blurry
or waxy 似蜡的；光滑的 reading and distance vision as one of the blaring signs of
cataracts. “Things start to look like there is a film in front of your eyes. The sharpness
is gone.”

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Double vision
Diplopia 复视[亦作 diplopy,double vision], more commonly known as double vision,
can be another silent 不提供情况的；未谈及的；拒绝讲的 sign of cataracts.
However, this is not to be mistaken as the diplopia that comes from improper
alignment 排成直线; 平行的排列: of the eyes. The double vision, in this case, will
occur even when looking through one eye. “At first, the cataract may cause
cloudiness in one’s vision that will affect only a small part of the eye’s lens and may
not be so noticeable,” warns Dean Hart, OD, optometrist and professor at Columbia
University’s School of Medicine. “But as the cataract grows in size, it will cloud more
of the lens and will also distort 使变形；扭曲；使失真 the light passing through it.
As a result, you may get double vision in a single eye if only that eye has the
cataract.”

Here are more health symptoms you should never ignore.

PH

OTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Frequent changes in eyeglass

or contact lens prescription
When a nuclear cataract first develops, it can actually spark a temporary
improvement in your near vision, often referred to as “second sight 视力；视觉.” As
a result, people who formerly = previously needed reading glasses may no longer
need them anymore (this improvement will eventually end), or frequent increases in
the strength of your prescription glasses may be required. This indicates that the
density 密度；浓度 of the lenses in your eyes is changing. Don’t take this a sign that
you can forego 摒绝，放弃〔美好的东西〕 your next eye doctor appointment,
however; only a doctor can determine whether your sudden eye improvement is due
to an eye cataract or an impromptu 无准备的; 即兴的; 即席的: miracle 奇迹:. “Since
these are silent symptoms, it is important to have an annual eye exam because
cataracts are diagnosed through high magnification and high illumination 照明；光
源 examination of the lens,” notes Monica Nguyen, OD. “There is no proven
approach to preventing cataracts, but there are preventative 预防（性）的
strategies, such as UV protection to reduce sunlight exposure, nutritional
supplements (antioxidant 抗氧化物质（如维生素 C 或 E，可消除体内自由基
等有害分子） vitamins and green leafy vegetables), and decreasing or quitting
smoking.”

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