Your eye is like a camera. There is a lens in the front of your eye that is a lot like the lens on a camera. Light passes through the lens to get to the back of your eye. As you get older, so does the lens in your eye. It starts becoming cloudy and dark, and this is what we call a cataract.

Having cataracts is like looking through a foggy window. Your vision might become blurry, and you may have trouble reading or seeing at night.

You can get cataracts in one eye, or both. Cataracts do not spread from one eye to the other.

Who gets cataracts?

Almost everyone gets cataracts as they grow older

• By age 65, 90% of people have a cataract
• Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed on people above 65

You are more likely to get cataracts if you have a history of:

• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Traumatic injury to your eyes
• Steroid use, such as prednisone

What are the symptoms?

• Blurry vision
• Glare, poor night vision
• Double vision
• Light sensitivity
• Washed out colors

How do I know if I have cataracts?

You might have some of the symptoms in the list above, or you might have no symptoms at all if your cataracts are small. When you go to the eye doctor, he can see your cataract by looking through an instrument called the ophthalmoscope, or by looking through the microscope.

How fast do cataracts grow?

It depends on the type of cataract, but they typically develop over many years. Many people do not notice a change in their vision because it happens so slowly.

Is there anything I can do to prevent cataracts?

There is no way to prevent cataracts. However, you can slow the progression by doing a few things

• Wear sunglasses with UV protection
• Stop smoking, if you are smoking now

What are the treatment options?

Early on, better lighting or new glasses may help improve your vision.

The only way to cure cataracts is to do surgery.

• The cloudy lens in your eye is taken out and replaced with a new artificial lens.
• This is a short surgery that uses local anesthesia, and you can go home the same day.
• The recovery time is only a few days, and you should notice an improvement in your vision right away.
• How do I know if I need cataract surgery?

You will need cataract surgery to remove your cloudy lens if you can no longer see well enough to do your everyday tasks. You can discuss this with your eye doctor.

Resources

Cataract – University of Michigan Kellog Eye Center

Prepared in partnership with Lily Huang, MD, Class of 2013, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

For more information:

Go to the Eye and Vision Care health topic.