When your vision begins to change, conditions like cataracts and glaucoma can be worrisome. Although both affect your eyesight, they vary greatly in symptoms, causes, and how they're treated. Understanding these distinctions is essential for proper treatment.
What Are Cataracts?
Cataracts happen when the lens of the eye becomes opaque, causing blurry vision and increased light sensitivity. Though often linked to aging, cataracts can also develop due to eye injuries, certain medications, or health conditions like diabetes.
Common symptoms of cataracts include:
- Cloudy or blurry vision.
- Increased sensitivity to glare, especially at night.
- Colors appearing faded or dull.
- Difficulty seeing in low-light conditions.
Cataracts tend to develop over time and can be corrected through surgery, where the cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one.
What Is Glaucoma?
In contrast to cataracts, glaucoma damages the optic nerve, often due to high intraocular pressure. It is more subtle and can result in permanent vision loss without early intervention.
Glaucoma symptoms typically involve:
- Gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision, often unnoticed at first.
- In advanced cases, tunnel vision.
- In rare acute cases, severe eye pain, nausea, and blurred vision.
To manage glaucoma, long-term treatments like eye drops, laser surgery, or surgical procedures are used to control eye pressure and stop the damage from worsening.
Key Differences Between Cataracts and Glaucoma
Although both cataracts and glaucoma affect your vision, they differ significantly in how they develop and are treated:
| Feature | Cataracts | Glaucoma |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of Condition | Clouding of the eye's lens. | Damage to the optic nerve, often from high eye pressure. |
| Pattern of Vision Loss | Blurriness and glare sensitivity. | Peripheral vision loss progressing to tunnel vision. |
| How It’s Treated | Surgical replacement of the lens. | Medications, laser therapy, or surgery to reduce eye pressure. |
The key takeaway? Cataracts primarily affect the clarity of your vision, while glaucoma affects the field of vision and can lead to irreversible blindness if untreated.
