Cataract Exam & Management in Fort St. John & Dawson Creek

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Taking the Haze Out of Everyday Life

The natural lens inside our eyes refracts light as it enters the eye, helping us see clearly. We are born with clear lenses inside our eyes, but they can become cloudy as we age. When the lens gets cloudy, it can create a sort of haze across our vision that can eventually lead to significant vision impairment.

Cataracts, a natural part of ageing, causes the lens to become cloudy. As they develop, they can obstruct your entire field of vision, making the world around you seem washed out or veiled.

At Northern Vision Care, we can help you prevent and manage cataracts so you can enjoy clear vision for as long as possible. If you would like to find out more about cataracts and how you can manage them, please give us a call or use our online form to book an appointment.

Causes & Symptoms of Cataracts

Cataracts can develop in almost everyone due to ageing. As we get older, the eyes continue to grow and change. After age 40, proteins begin to break down, causing the lens inside the eye to become cloudy. The cloudiness will continue to worsen, often creating significant vision impairment after age 60.

However, some individuals will only develop very mild cataracts, if any at all. Others may not experience any vision changes until much later in life.

Some other causes of cataracts include:

  • Injury
  • Inherited genetic disorders
  • Underlying eye conditions
  • Past eye surgery
  • Diabetes
  • Steroid medications
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • Excessive exposure to sunlight

For many, cataracts develop slowly over time. However, certain external factors can cause them to develop more quickly.

Symptoms of cataracts include:

  • Clouded, blurred, or dim vision
  • Difficulty seeing at night
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Trouble seeing in dim light
  • Seeing “halos” around lights
  • Frequently changing vision
  • Fading or yellowing of colours
  • Double vision

Preventing Cataracts

In some cases, cataracts cannot be prevented altogether. However, living a healthy, balanced lifestyle that involves eating nutritious foods and getting plenty of sleep and exercise is a great way to stay in good health overall.

There are a few healthy habits that you can adopt to minimize your risk of developing cataracts early. One of the best ways is to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays in sunlight by wearing 99 to 100% UV protection sunglasses. You can also get an anti-UV coating applied to your eyeglasses, if you wear them.

Other great habits to adopt include:

  • Eat a diet rich in vitamin C & E
  • Quit smoking
  • Limit alcohol consumption
  • Control your blood sugar
  • Exercise regularly

Protect Your Eye Health & Book an Exam Today!

Above all, the number 1 way to ward off eye diseases and conditions is to attend regular eye exams. Your eye care professional knows just what to look for when examining your eyes, so any early signs of issues will be easily detected. If you have any questions about cataracts or your eye health, we would love to help. Please give us a call or use our online form to book your appointment today!

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Our Locations

Fort St. John

Contact Information

Address

9808-101st Avenue
Fort St. John, BC V1J 2B2

Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm

Dawson Creek

Contact Information

Address

1017-103rd Avenue
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2G6

Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm, closed 12-1pm daily

Contact Information

Address

9808-101st Avenue
Fort St. John, BC V1J 2B2

Contact Information

Address

1017-103rd Avenue
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2G6

Our Eye Care Services

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