A doctor raises awareness of the symptoms of a common eye disease.

Dr. Helen Wall, regular doctor on British daytime TV show BBC Morning Live“had poor eyesight most of (her) life” and remembers being in primary school and “struggling to see very clearly”.

When she was on holidayshe started having more trouble than usual seeing through her sunglasses properly, but put it down to sunscreen getting on the lenses.

Little did she know that she was actually experiencing an early symptom of a common one eye condition.

When she came to her optometrist for her regular check-up, Dr Wall was “quite shocked” to learn she had “early cataracts”.

“I consider myself very young, I was shocked by it, even as a GP because it’s not something you think about. You think about it in old people,” she added. “(…) I was told I have cataracts because I am very nearsighted and my prescription is minus 11 – which is quite significant.”

But what exactly is a cataract?

What is cataract?

Dr Wall said: “A cataract is basically a clouding of the lens in the eye which is a small, clear disc – or at least it should be clear. What happens with cataracts is that over time it can become cloudy or foggy.”

National Eye Institute confirms that cataracts are when the clear part of the eye that helps focus light becomes “cloudy,” and while most are “age-related,” you can develop cataracts after eye surgery or after experiencing other eye problems.

If you’ve been ignoring that reminder to get your eyes checked, don’t (Getty Stock Images/ Bill Oxford)

What are the early symptoms of cataracts?

Reflecting on an early sign of cataracts, Dr Wall explained: “When we’re young our lens is like looking through a clear window, but when you start to get cataracts it can become very foggy, more like a bathroom window.

“It can be quite difficult for people, as it can affect things like driving and doing their normal daily activities as it progresses, so it’s something to be aware of.”

And it’s not just blurry and hazy vision, but also “less colorful” vision that can point to cataracts, as well as “light sensitivity, difficulty seeing at night,” seeing “a halo around light” and “double vision.”

How likely are you to develop cataracts?

You may be at higher risk of developing cataracts as you age, even if you have a family history of them, have eye surgery, spend a lot of time in the sun, drink a lot alcoholsmoking or taking steroids.

If you notice that your vision is getting cloudy, it may be time for a check-up (Getty Stock Images/ Zarina Lukash)

How to deal with cataracts

Protecting your eyes from the sun and during sports or activities that may risk damaging them, along with a healthy diet and quitting smoking, can help reduce the risk of cataracts.

And if you get them? Well, cataracts can lead to vision loss, but thankfully you can have surgery to get rid of them.

The National Eye Institute explains, “No matter what type of cataract you have, you need surgery to treat it.”

However, it assures that the operation is “safe” and “corrects vision problems caused by cataracts”.

So now might be a good time to stop putting off answering that eye test reminder you keep getting through the post.