Do you see an array of colors when you look at bright lights? Do you have trouble driving at night due to glare from oncoming headlights? If so, it is time to get your eyes checked. When patients struggle with glare and rainbows, it is often because the light coming into their eyes is not being focused correctly. The two main parts of the eye that are responsible for focusing light are the cornea and the lens. The cornea is the clear front of the eye and provides approximately 67% of the eyes ability to focus light. The lens, which is embedded deep in the eye, provides the remaining refractive power.
When the cornea is scratched, swollen, or overly dry it is unable to focus light as efficiently as it normally would, which can result in patient’s seeing rainbows around lights. More commonly, the cause of glare and rainbows stems from cataracts. A cataract is an aging change in which the lens of the eye becomes yellow and cloudy. As the cataract worsens, the lens becomes less able to focus light and glare is often one of the first symptoms people notice. The vast majority of people will develop cataracts at some point in their lifetime. There is currently no known method of prevention. Fortunately, cataract surgery is a quick, safe, and relatively straightforward procedure that boasts a 98% success rate.
If you’ve noticed changes in your vision and think you may have a cataract, schedule an appointment with Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey Michigan’s Leading Eye Care Physicians in Bloomfield Hills to have your eyes evaluated.