Eye examinations are the most important way to catch cataracts early.

Cataracts happen when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, which leaves you unable to see clearly. As cataracts progress, they can lead to blindness if left untreated.

Fortunately, eye examinations are one of the most effective ways to catch cataracts early. Here are four ways eye examinations catch cataracts early:

1. Eye Examinations Check For Age-Related Symptoms

Eye examinations allow your doctor to look for signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a leading cause of vision loss among seniors. AMD can sometimes be detected in the early stages by dilating your pupils with eye drops and examining the retina with a special magnifying lens called an ophthalmoscope.

2. Eye Examinations Check Your Cornea

Eye examinations help detect any problems with your cornea and eyelids that could lead to vision loss later on down the road. These include corneal dystrophy (where there are abnormal deposits on top of the cornea), keratoconus (a condition where the cornea is irregularly shaped) and ectasia (a bulging of the cornea).

3. Eye Examinations Check Lens Thickness Measurement

An important part of detecting cataracts is measuring how thick your lens is. The cornea—the transparent covering of your eye—and iris—its coloured part—have refractive power that allows light to enter your eyes and focus on your retina. The lens focuses light onto your retina as well, so it needs to be healthy for clear vision to occur. A thickened lens can interfere with this process and make it difficult for light rays to focus properly on your retina, causing blurry vision or even blindness from macular degeneration if left untreated over time.

4. Eye Examinations Check Your Vision

If you have trouble seeing things up close or far away, it could be a sign that you have cataracts. If you start seeing halos around lights or shadows around objects—or if any part of your vision seems blurry—it could mean that there are problems with your cornea or that cataracts are starting to form. If your eye doctor notices any changes in how well you see things, like blurriness or difficulty reading things on paper during the eye examination, it could also mean that cataracts are forming in your lenses.

If you notice any changes in your vision—such as blurred vision, glare or halos around lights, double vision or other changes—it's important to schedule an eye exam right away. Chat with an optometrist about eye examinations today.