If you have ever heard of glaucoma and cataracts, but you are not very clear about the difference between them, don’t worry, here we explain it to you. Both affect vision, but they do it in different ways.
Glaucoma: The “Silent Thief of Sight”.
Imagine you have a drain at home and, suddenly, it starts to clog. Water builds up and the pressure increases. Well, something similar happens in the eye with glaucoma. This is a disease in which the pressure inside the eye rises too high and damages the optic nerve, which is responsible for sending images to the brain.
The most worrisome thing about glaucoma is that it often does not cause symptoms until your peripheral vision (the sides of your visual field) begins to disappear. In advanced cases, you may notice that you see as if you were looking through a tube, and without treatment, it can lead to blindness.
Glaucoma cannot be cured, but there are treatments such as eye drops, laser or surgery to control eye pressure and prevent it from getting worse. For this reason, it is essential to have regular check-ups with the ophthalmologist, especially if there is a family history of the disease.
Cataracts: Like Foggy Glass
Now, imagine that your glasses or car windshield are dirty or fogged up. That’s what happens with cataracts.This condition occurs when the crystalline lens, which is the natural “lens” of our eye, becomes cloudy over time.
Cataracts usually appear with age and cause vision to become blurry, colors to appear duller and light to be more distracting than normal. The good news is that, unlike glaucoma, cataracts can be cured with a simple surgery that replaces the damaged lens with an artificial lens.
So, What is the Key Difference?
- Glaucoma: A silent disease that damages the optic nerve due to elevated pressure in the eye and can lead to blindness if left untreated.There is no cure, but there are treatments to control it.
- Cataract: A clouding of the lens of the eye that causes blurred vision and affects color and light perception.It can be cured with a simple surgery.
Take Care of Your Vision
Whether you are young or old, taking care of your eyes is essential. Have regular check-ups with your ophthalmologist, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays and eat a diet rich in antioxidants such as carrots, spinach and fish.
If you notice changes in your vision, such as difficulty seeing at night, extreme sensitivity to light or a gradual loss of visual field, don’t let it go. Early detection can make all the difference.
Your eyesight is a treasure, take care of it!
