Cataracts are an eye condition when one naturally has this cloudy appearance in the eyes, often a sign of aging. One tends to ignore it until it becomes severe enough to permanently block light from reaching the retina.
You can do a self-test for cataracts at home, but you must have a doctor's diagnosis before you can draw any conclusions on your own. “Have you noticed any vision changes in recent memory?” Your questions need to start like that.
There are some burning questions you can ask yourself while at home to confirm the preliminary symptoms. It only takes you 10 minutes at max to self-assess and notice any signs of concerns about cataracts.
We look out for the key indicators of cataracts beforehand, when things suddenly start to blur out of nowhere. There is a thin film over your eyes, and you feel that way, which blocks you like a cloud from seeing the broad daylight; it's not a rain away though.
Easy Self-test for Cataracts is a 5 to 10-minute quiz session with our clients, which helps them detect if they have cataracts or not. The test is designed to be quick and convenient to use and can also be taken remotely at home.
Eye-related quizzes and the patient's previous history will all be considered. Here’s an easy and simple way to answer online quizzes, look for symptoms, and see if you have an early sign of cataract.
The first step is that it's your job to reflect on your ability to perform daily tasks such as reading, driving, or even entertainment gigs like video games and watching movies. You can know from the convenience of seeing at night and even doing regular tasks if you are suffering from any eye diseases or not.
Blurry vision can simply occur when you are currently wearing corrective lenses, such as glasses or contacts. It's not a definitive symptom of cataracts, but your concerns are well-addressed.
Many online platforms provide questionnaires relating to your visual experiences. If you notice your glasses prescription not improving over time yet frequently changing, this can be something to worry about.
If you can see the rainbow much more clearly or not. If it has anything that can make you fuzzy and not see the road signals. Things become yellow, black, or less vivid. You have increased sensitivity to bright light and glare, which is something one needs to cope with wearing their sunglasses.
It’s jarring, “the contrast between different colors or hues." It takes time to adjust. There is sudden burning pain in the eyes if you look at oncoming headlights or night lights on the streets. Here the intensity of the pain keeps increasing as you may have cataracts, which exacerbate issues with glare at night.
| Symptoms of Cataracts | Visual Experience |
|---|---|
| Blurred or double vision | One faces trouble focusing and seeing at different distances. |
| Light sensitivity | Increased discomfort in bright light or broad sunlight. |
| Fading colors | One struggles to distinguish the shades of color as they appear less vibrant. |
| Halos around the light | One sees rings and halos around the sources of light, like bulbs. |
Based on your answers, you may receive recommendations for follow-up actions. If almost all questions tick the correct mark, that means you need to immediately schedule an appointment with an eye care professional. The doctors will help you treat your eyes correctly and checklist all the signs, symptoms, and possible case scenarios you have with your eyes.
Self-testing is for fun and designed only for general information and learning about your own eyes.
Individuals over 50 are at a higher risk for cataracts, and self-tests might return positive results simply due to age rather than actual symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms are misleading and can mean something else. It's because the symptoms overlap and you can have a different set of diagnoses.
You cannot figure out if you have cataracts or not without taking a professional evaluation. But it does help you to suspect if you have an early symptom of cataract and take a preventive measure accordingly.
Tests like visual acuity assessments and slit-lamp examinations only help determine the impact of cataracts on vision. There is no easy rule. Even the glares and halos are not the definitive symptoms of you having cataracts.
The visual acuity test is a preliminary test done to see how a person can read a Snellen chart. If they can see and respond to the smallest letters on the chart or not. You are scored based on how well you can read a vision chart placed 6 meters away.
The tonometry test is done by experts to see if one has any concerns regarding the internal pressure of the eyes. This is a specific screening tool for glaucoma where patients will look into a machine called a tonometer to get their eye pressure reading done.
In slit lamp examination, your eye doctor will simply examine the frontal part of your eyes with a highly magnified light view. They then analyze the view of eye structure as you rest your chin on the chin rest and give a prescription as per the situation of the eyes.
A refraction test is a test where the visual errors of an individual are calculated. Optometrists try and put lenses of various powers to find your spectacles number in a trial frame. They will fine-tune so you have a clear vision.
It's a quick 5 to 15-minute general assessment test for your eyes to verify the spectacle power of the eye. The readings of both eyes may be different, subject to your specific eye situation and refractive errors like far-sightedness, short-sightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia in your eyes.
Dilation of the eyes is important before you observe your whole eye through an ophthalmoscope. Doctors will put eye drops 30 minutes before your turn to take effective time for dilution.
This test is effective to examine the optic nerve at the back of the eyes and see if there are any retinal diseases. Some individuals complain that they experience blurred vision after the dilation, and it can last for about 4 hours; they have increased sensitivity to daylight for the whole time.
With age, you are at risk factor for cataracts. When you are 55, there is a high chance you're developing a cataract. Different studies show that 94 million people worldwide are suffering from this eye disease, and it's not good news. They even reported living with moderate to severe vision loss due to cataracts. This has been a concern in Nepal as well, where it accounts for a heartbreaking 62.2% of blindness cases and affects a significant 2.8% of the population.
Antonio the Optometrist, in his educational optometry channel, has mentioned that the “lens begins to turn milky and opaque” in a cataract situation.
You can simply take a 60-second time and do an online self-test to see if you have progressive symptoms of cataracts and get results in no time. If you need a professional evaluation, we, the team of Vision Concern Clinic, are there for you.
Cataracts are “like a slow rising tide." It does not happen all of a sudden. It is a progressive disease; we can manage it before it gradually obscures vision. It forms layer by layer, which we can know via an easy self-test, and prevents our eyes from getting like a foggy window pane. Visit the Vision Concern Eye clinic if you need a one-on-one test with an optometrist.
Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.
Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.
