It also describes how nuclear sclerosis is diagnosed and treated and ways to better manage the condition if affected.
Nuclear Sclerosis Symptoms
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Early on, symptoms of nuclear sclerosis can be subtle.
It may take a long time for you to notice them.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
They can include:
Some people with nuclear sclerosis see a temporary improvement in their vision.
This is sometimes calledsecond sight.
It can make you think your eyes have gotten better, but the slow decline inevitably continues.
Symptoms and signs of nuclear cataracts include:
At first, you may get acataractin just one eye.
Over time, you’ll likely develop one in the other eye, too.
Vision may improve, only to decline again.
Nuclear cataracts can be classified as either immature or mature, depending on how severe the clouding is.
In severe cases, untreated nuclear cataracts can cause blindness.
The retina processes light and transfers signals that allow your brain to register images.
That, in turn, equates to vision issues.
As you age, your nuclear sclerosis will eventually develop into an NS cataract.
In addition to aging, cataracts can be because of trauma or disease.
Risk Factors
Age is the main risk factor for nuclear sclerotic cataracts.
Nuclear cataracts are typically easy to diagnose.
That’s especially true if they’ve changed how the lens looks.
Healthcare providers use special eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil.
Then they look inside your eye with a handheld instrument called an ophthalmoscope and aslit-lamp microscope.
If you have nuclear sclerosis, the healthcare provider will see abnormalities in the lens’s nucleus.
Sometimes an eye health professional can see early changes before you have noticeable symptoms.
This reinforces the importance ofroutine eye exams.
Early diagnosis means early treatment, and that may prevent or delay serious vision lossincluding blindness.
Treating it in the early stages may prevent nuclear cataracts from forming.
For now, though, this treatment is experimental.
It is considered safe for most people.
Most people fully recover in about two to four weeks.
Cataract surgery has a 97% or higher success rate.
Summary
Nuclear sclerotic cataracts impact the center of your eye’s lens.
Healthcare providers diagnose nuclear sclerosis with a dilated eye exam.
Treatment includes corrective lenses or, later on, surgery to replace the affected lens.
A Word From Verywell
With treatment, nuclear sclerosis and nuclear sclerotic cataracts rarely cause blindness.
Getting regular eye exams is key to early diagnosis and treatment, which can help preserve your vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nuclear sclerosis is expected with age.
Nuclear sclerosis can be treated, but not cured.
Corrective lenses and lifestyle changes help people adapt to changing vision.
With advanced nuclear cataracts, surgery is an option.
University of Michigan Health System, Kellogg Eye Center.Nuclear cataract.
Frampton G, Harris P, Cooper K, et al.
Chapter 1: Background.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Common eye disorders and diseases.
Yanoff M, Sassani JW.
Chapter 10 - Lens.
In:Ocular pathology.Elsevier.
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Cataracts.
Ang MJ, Afshari NA.Cataract and systemic disease: A review.Clin Exp Ophthalmol.
2021;49(2):118-127. doi:10.1111/ceo.13892
American Academy of Ophthalmology: EyeSmart.What are cataracts?
2018;21(4):399-412. doi:10.1111/vop.12525
Thompson J, Lakhani N.Cataracts.Prim Care.
2015;42(3):409-23. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.05.012
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Cataract.
