What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Symptoms include blurred, cloudy, or double vision; sensitivity to light; and difficulty seeing at night. Without treatment, cataracts can cause blindness. There are many different types and causes of cataracts. They may occur in people of all ages, but are most common in the elderly.

A cataract usually develops slowly and causes no pain. At first, the cloudiness may affect only a small part of the lens and the individual may be unaware of any vision loss. Over time, however, as the cataract grows larger, it clouds more of the lens. When significantly less light reaches the retina, vision becomes impaired.

Symptoms of a cataract include: clouded, blurred, or dim vision; increasing difficulty with vision at night; sensitivity to light and glare; halos around lights; the need for brighter light for reading and other activities; frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription; fading or yellowing of colors; and double vision in a single eye.

A cataract is not dangerous to the physical health of the eye unless the cataract becomes completely white, a condition known as an overripe (hypermature) cataract. This can cause inflammation, pain, and headache. A hypermature cataract is very uncommon, but it requires surgical removal if it is associated with inflammation or pain.

You should read product labels, and discuss all therapies with a qualified healthcare provider. Natural Standard information does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Not all cataracts impair vision or affect daily living. For those that do, common symptoms include:

• Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy or filmy vision.
• Glare from lamps or the sun, which may be severe.
• Difficulty driving at night due to glare from headlights.
• Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription.
• Double vision.
• Difficulty doing daily activities because of vision problems.

Parents need to watch for signs of cataracts in infants and children.

Have you ever noticed a milky-colored buildup in the middle of someone's eyes? That's what a cataract can look like if it gets to an advanced stage. But early on, it may not be so visible to others. Still, cataracts can begin affecting vision quite early in their development -- and those vision changes are something that millions of people deal with. In fact, more than 50% of us get cataracts or cataract treatment by the time we reach age 80.

But the good news is that some easy measures may improve low vision caused by cataracts, and surgery can remove them if they become severe.

Only an eye care professional can diagnose cataracts, but it may be time to schedule an eye exam if you notice any of these common signs:

• Blurry or fuzzy vision
• Trouble seeing at night
• Double vision (single objects appear as two)
• A glow or halo effect around lights
• Changes to color vision (colors are less vivid, maybe brownish)

Take the RealAge Test!

Any of these symptoms in one or both eyes may be a sign of cataract (clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye):

• blurry or dim vision
• glare from bright lights
• double vision from one eye
• distorted images
• increasing nearsightedness
• declining night vision