Having blurry or cloudy vision is sometimes an indication of the development of cataracts that may be present in one eye or both.
In order to determine the presence and severity of cataracts, your optometrist or ophthalmologist will utilize several different testing methods during an office visit.
While cataracts are most commonly seen in older adults due to the aging process, they can occur in individuals of all ages including infants that have congenital cataracts at birth.
While the exact cause of cataracts in many cases is unknown, cataracts can also develop due to other health conditions or certain medications, and sometimes develop after trauma or injury to the eye.
Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity Testing One of the tests your eye doctor will perform when checking for cataracts is the "visual acuity" test.
This test measures the distances at which you are capable of seeing with each eye, however, if a vision problem is detected further testing will still be needed to confirm a diagnosis of cataracts as these vision problems may be due to the need for prescription glasses or another type of eye condition.
After the visual acuity test your eye doctor may decide to perform further testing with a contrast sensitivity test.
This test will determine how well you can distinguish objects from a background that may be shaded or similar in color to these objects.
Tonometry and Slit Lamp Test A tonometry test will also be performed that measures the amount of fluid pressure in the eyes.
This test is performed by applying a slight pressure directly to the eyes and can be done by a couple of methods of which the most common is blowing a puff of air into each eye.
In some cases, numbing drops may be used and a blunt instrument will then be utilized to place a small amount of pressure directly on each eye.
In order to determine cloudiness in the lens and its severity a slit lamp will be used that is a high powered microscope with a light.
This microscope will magnify the lens and enable your doctor to see the presence of a cataract as well as determine its size.
Pupil Dilation One of the most common forms of testing used to detect the development of a cataract is the pupil dilation test.
This test enlarges the pupils by dilating the eyes which allows a complete view of the lens and can detect a cataract in the early stages when it is of a smaller size.
If cataracts are found during any of these tests, further testing can be performed to determine what type of cataract it is that you may have and aid the doctor in deciding on what treatment to recommend.
It is essential to detect the presence of cataracts early so that proper treatment can be received because if they are left untreated the result can be a significant loss of vision and even blindness in some cases.