Your eye’s lens is typically clear. When cataracts develop, they cause your lens to become cloudy. As the number of cataracts in your eye’s lens increase over time, you’ll begin to experience blurry, dim vision which may make it harder to read, drive a car or perform many routine daily tasks.
Cataracts develop when proteins build up in your eye’s lens. These proteins cloud the lens and prevent light from passing through clearly to the retina. Instead, light scatters, causing the blurry vision you experience.
During the early phases of cataract development, the impact on your vision will be relatively minor and you can easily correct the condition with glasses. Over time, this clouding of your lens will become increasingly dense, covering a larger portion of your lens. Eventually, your vision will deteriorate to a point where you will need cataract surgery to correct the condition.
Since cataracts develop slowly, you may not experience many symptoms right away. However, as the majority of your lens becomes covered by cataracts, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Cloudy, foggy or blurry vision
- Double vision
- Problems seeing clearly at night
- Changes in the way you perceive colors
- Problems with glare from bright lights
- Increased light sensitivity
- Nearsightedness
- Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription
At Kirk Eye Center, we can perform cataract surgery to replace your eye’s cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). Dr. Kirk offers some of the most advanced IOL options which can help restore clear vision without the need for glasses after surgery. Cataract surgery is very safe, and the recovery process is relatively short. Most of our patients are able to resume normal activities the following day.
Dr. Kirk is one of the most experienced cataract surgeons in the Fort Collins area, and he has been achieving exceptional results for more than 25 years. This experience, combined with his commitment to using the most advanced techniques and technology, ensure the greatest likelihood of a successful outcome to your cataract surgery.
If you think you may be developing cataracts, please contact Kirk Eye Center using the form on this page or call 970-669-1107 today to schedule an exam. We serve patients in Loveland, Windsor, Fort Collins and throughout Northern Colorado.
