Is It Time for Cataract Surgery? Seven Daily-Life Signs Singaporeans Often Ignore
You feel the blinding glare from oncoming headlights when driving home at night. You need to strain your eyes while reading messages on the phone. Colours now appeared dim, faded and less bright in malls or when you are outdoors.
Many Singaporeans experience these vision changes over time, but frequently deem these changes as part of ageing – tired eyes are a result of too much screen time. In our fast-paced city, it seems convenient to adapt to these changes: you cut down on night driving, make the font size on your phone bigger, and slowly avoid going outdoors or shopping. The changes you make to your life may be masking an underlying eye condition – cataracts.
As the vision symptoms of cataract develop slowly and gradually, many people defer seeing an eye specialist in Singapore till the condition becomes severe, impairing vision, affecting safety, confidence, and independence. Therefore, being aware of the early daily-life signs can help you decide the appropriate time to consult an eye doctor in Singapore.
What cataracts really do to your vision?
Clouding of the eye lens explained simply
There is a clear lens inside the eye that focuses light onto the retina so we can see sharp images. When the lens gets cloudy, cataracts occur. In the presence of a cataract, the light instead of passing through a clear lens now scatters – it is akin to looking through a frosted or foggy window. Cataracts decrease clarity, contrast and colour perception.
Cataracts may form in one or two eyes, and they do vary in severity. The cloudiness occurs within the lens itself – it is not a growth or film. The vision usually cannot be improved with a change in prescription glasses.
Why does it worsen gradually?
Cataracts progressively worsen over many years for most people. The lens becomes cloudier as the proteins within it break down and clump together. In most cases, the vision change is gradual, and people do not know the amount of vision they have lost till daily tasks become difficult and challenging. A lot of people only become aware of the severity when they have their eyes checked by an eye specialist at a Singapore vision centre.
Seven lifestyle signs that cataracts may be affecting you
Cataracts manifest in our everyday life, not just during a cataract screening at the eye specialist’s. Here are 7 commonly ignored symptoms:
1. Night driving glare from headlights
Feeling that you are seeing more glare and haloes from oncoming car headlights and street lights are typical symptoms of cataracts. This can cause stress and discomfort amongst drivers on Singapore’s busy roads, leading many people to minimise or avoid night driving.
2. Difficulty reading phone screens or subtitles
When reading messages/email on the phone or when reading subtitles on the TV becomes harder, it may be cataracts reducing contrast sensitivity. On a bright screen, you may see words that are blurry or faded.
3. Increased reliance on brighter lighting at home
Cataracts decrease the amount of light reaching the retina. This makes seeing things in dim or dark environments difficult. Those with the condition may find themselves needing to have more light for daily activities like cooking, reading, or even just walking around the house.
4. Frequent changes in spectacle prescription
If you find yourself needing to keep changing your prescription glasses and yet still do not see well enough, it may be due to cataracts. This is a common complaint made when people visit an eye clinic in Singapore. Cataracts can cause vision to fluctuate, and more often than not, prescription glasses are unable to fully address the vision issue.
5. Reduced confidence navigating stairs or train platforms
Cataracts can cause loss of both depth perception and contrast. This can result in a higher risk of misjudging steps and train platform edges as they can appear less distinct, which can cause falls and accidents.
6. Trouble recognising faces from a distance
When seeing people from a distance, you may not be able to make out faces, recognising friends, neighbours or colleagues. This can cause social discomfort and impact one’s confidence in public.
7. Eye strain during work or hobbies
Cataracts coerce the eyes to work and strain harder to focus, especially when it comes to visually demanding tasks like sewing or reading small text on screens. Prolonged near work can cause one to develop a headache or eye fatigue.
When would an eye specialist in Singapore recommend surgery?
Visual function vs visual acuity
Many people have the misconception that cataract surgery is only warranted when the vision is “very bad”. When it comes to deciding the appropriate time to have cataract surgery, eye specialists in Singapore tend to look at visual function rather than visual acuity numbers on an eye chart.
Visual acuity determines how well you can see letters from a distance. Visual function, conversely, looks at how well one manages daily activities – cook, read, drive, etc. You may be able to read from the eye chart well enough, but face challenges with everyday activities,s including having glare, contrast or night vision issues.
Why “not fully blind yet” is not the benchmark?
Modern cataract surgery in Singapore is about treating the condition in a timely manner. It is unwise to wait until the vision is almost gone. When cataracts affect your lifestyle, safety, or independence, the Singapore cataract surgeon would advise surgery even if you are “not fully blind yet”. The objective is to regain good and functional vision for people to carry on their lives as usual and not wait till daily life becomes difficult or affected.
What happens if cataracts are left untreated?
Safety risks
When left untreated, cataracts can cause a total loss of vision. The condition increases the risk of falls, injuries and accidents and poses safety concerns, especially for the elderly.
Impact on independence
As the vision worsens with cataracts becoming more severe, daily life also gets more challenging and difficult as people will need to rely more on family, helpers and friends to carry out normal everyday activities. Worse still, the condition can cause people to withdraw from their favourite activities/hobbies and affect emotional well-being and independence.
Understanding cataract surgery in Singapore
Cataract surgery in Singapore is one of the most commonly performed eye procedures with a high success rate. During the cataract operation in Singapore, the surgeon removed the cloudy lens through a small 2mm incision and replaced it with a clear artificial intraocular lens. The day surgery takes about 15 to 20 minutes and also offers fast recovery – you can resume most daily activities the next day.
Understandably, many people are concerned about the cataract surgery cost in Singapore. The fees do vary depending on a myriad of factors: Costs can vary depending on factors such as seniority and experience of the cataract surgery, the type of intraocular lens chosen (monofocal, trifocal), the facility (private surgery centre or a hospital setting), if an anaesthetist is called upon and whether the surgery is performed in a private or public setting. It is worth knowing, though, that the procedure is insurance- and MediSave-claimable if applicable. An eye doctor in Singapore or the staff at a Singapore vision centre would be able to help you understand all the available options so you can make an informed decision.
Cataract screening in Singapore
If you suspect that you are developing cataracts and would like to have a cataract screening, please contact Eye Max Centre at +65 6694 1000 or manager@eyemax.sg to schedule an appointment.
