Lifestyle Changes to Manage Cataracts
by Rick Alan
Although surgery is the only treatment that will cure a cataract, there are some measures that may help control some symptoms of cataracts.
General Guidelines for Managing Cataracts
- Wear sunglasses that block dangerous ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB rays)
- Wear a hat
- Avoid fluorescent light
Wearing UVA and UVB blocking sunglasses can help reduce glare and bright sunlight that affects people with cataracts.
Wearing a hat (indoors or out) can also protect your eyes from sunlight and fluorescent light.
Avoiding fluorescent light can help reduce the vision difficulty that glare and bright sunlight cause for people with cataracts. Some people find that using standard 60- to 100-watt light bulbs instead of fluorescent lights can help reduce glare indoors.
When to Contact Your Health Care Provider
- You should contact your eye doctor and discuss having surgery for cataracts when your vision difficulties get to the point where:
- You feel unsafe or uncomfortable
- You are unable to perform normal daily tasks or
activities, such as:
- Reading
- Driving
- Watching television
- Cooking
- Taking medications
Cataract surgery is much safer and more successful than in the past. Today some eye doctors and surgeons recommend having cataract surgery sooner rather than later, because delaying the surgery may make it more difficult to perform.
SOURCES:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Merck Manual of Medical Information,
17th edition. Simon and Schuster, Inc.;2000.
National Eye Institute
Last reviewed October 2004 by Kimberly Rask, MD, PhD
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