Hormonal shifts, lifestyle habits and natural aging all play a part in how the body reacts and readjusts as we get older. After age 40, risk factors for all kinds of conditions and diseases that show deterioration or problems begin to increase. At Pendleton Eye, we focus primarily on eye conditions and their impact on vision, but it is often through the eyes that other issues affecting the body are diagnosed. One of the most common age-related eye conditions that develop due to age are cataracts. As proteins in the lens of the eye break down and clump together, a cataract forms and over time distorts vision causing blurriness, haze and a decrease in color vision. While changes in vision are customary side effects of cataracts, some people with poor eyesight can experience a bit of disequilibrium or feeling off balance. For those who have certain diseases that bring on this symptom, it is not unusual to question whether there is an established link between cataracts and vertigo.
A patient recently asked, “Are cataracts worsening my dizziness from Meniere’s disease?”
Meniere’s disease is a rare disorder caused by a buildup of fluid in the inner ear that affects balance and gearing. Symptoms include pressure, ringing in the ears, hearing loss and severe vertigo. While there is no cure, limiting a high salt diet, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco can manage symptoms, specifically vertigo attacks, where patients describe the feeling as the room spinning around them. While there is no correlation that suggests cataracts worsen dizziness from Meniere’s disease, cataract surgery can significantly improve functional balance skills when vision is restored. In addition, your general practitioner can prescribe a medication called betahistine to help reduce the frequency of vertigo attacks.
Cataract surgery is inevitable once cataracts develop. If you notice an increase in your Meniere’s disease symptoms as the cataract progresses, talk with your doctor about scheduling surgery sooner rather than later. A short-term side effect of cataract surgery for some people is dizziness that should not last more than a few hours after surgery as you adjust to the artificial intraocular lens.
For more information on cataract surgery, visit WEBSITE. To schedule an eye evaluation and to discuss your symptoms, call 760-758-2008 for the soonest available appointment.
