What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

At some point, usually after age 60, most people will develop a cataract. But common symptoms, such as blurry vision, sensitivity to light and trouble with night vision, may not occur right away, and in fact, early cataract symptoms are often associated with other conditions. So how do you know if what you are experiencing is a natural (and treatable) age-related cataract, or something else? To answer the question, let’s start by looking at what a cataract actually is:

What is a cataract?

As we age, the lenses of our eyes begin to change. These normally transparent and flexible tissues located behind the colored part of the eye can become thicker and less flexible, and the tissues can start to break down and clump together. This clumping forms cloudy areas on the lens, which are known as cataracts. When a cataract forms on the eye’s lens, it can cause vision to appear as though you are looking through a foggy window.

What are early signs of cataracts?

One important thing to know about cataracts is that in the beginning, they may not be noticeable at all. Usually, cataracts cause a slow, steady decline in vision as they progress. In the early stages, it can be easy to dismiss mild cataract symptoms as small annoyances or as simply needing a stronger eyeglass prescription. Here are 7 common signs of cataracts to look out for:

1. Foggy or blurry vision – In the early stages of a cataract, you might feel like your glasses or contact lenses are constantly dirty and find yourself cleaning them more frequently than you used to.

2. Sensitivity to light or glare – In an attempt to reduce glare, you may find yourself repeatedly reaching for your sunglasses or squinting more frequently than normal.

3. Needing more light to read You may find that you move closer to a light source when reading a book or newspaper or doing other activities.

4. Difficulty driving after dark – You might begin to feel unsafe driving at night and you may experience visual halos that form around light sources like oncoming headlights.

5. Fading or yellowing of colors – You might notice that colors do not appear to be as bright or vibrant as they used to. It could be very subtle at first and possibly limited to only a small part of your field of vision.

 6. Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions – A common early cataract symptom is needing to increase the strength of eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions and needing to change them more frequently.

7. Double vision in a single eye – At first, a cataract might only affect a small portion of the eye’s lens and may be barely noticeable, but as it grows, you might find yourself seeing double out of one eye, and it may or may not seem to occur quite suddenly.

What should you do if you think you might have cataracts?

Even when symptoms are mild and cataracts may not be noticeable to you, they will be noticeable to your eye doctor. That’s why it’s important to get regular eye exams. Early detection of cataract is critical. Most eye doctors recommend having a comprehensive eye exam every one to two years, depending on age and medical history. Learn more about what to expect in an eye exam here.

Fortunately, recent technological advancements in intraocular lenses, or IOLs (the artificial lens that replaces the natural lens that has become clouded by a cataract) have minimized the need for glasses post cataract surgery. Learn more about the IC-8 lens and how it works in seeing near to far.

For more information about cataracts and cataract surgery:

https://ic8lens.com/blog/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790

https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataracts.htm

https://nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts

https://www.visionaustralia.org/sites/default/files/docs/default-source/eye-health/Fact-sheets/cataracts-factsheet_v2_web-(accessible).pdf

Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD on September 15, 2022

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

A cataract is a progressive, painless clouding of the natural, internal lens of the eye. Cataracts block light, making it difficult to see clearly. Over a period of time, cataracts can cause blindness, if not treated or removed. They're often related to growing older, but sometimes they can develop in younger people

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

In a normal eye, light enters and passes through the lens. The lens focuses that light into a sharp image on the retina, which relays messages through the optic nerve to the brain. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurry. Other eye conditions, such as myopia, cause blurry vision, too, but cataracts produce some distinctive signs and symptoms.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Blurry vision at any distance is the most common symptom of cataracts. Your view may look foggy, filmy, or cloudy. Over time, as the cataracts get worse, less light reaches the retina. People with cataracts may have an especially hard time seeing and driving at night.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Another early symptom of cataracts is glare, or sensitivity to light. You may have trouble seeing in bright sunlight. Indoor lights that once didn’t bother you now may seem too bright or have halos. Driving at night may become a problem because of the glare caused by street lights and oncoming headlights.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Sometimes, cataracts can cause double vision (also known as diplopia) when you look with one eye. This is different than the double vision that comes from the eyes not lining up properly, which would give you double vision when looking out of both eyes together. With cataracts, images can appear double even with just one eye open.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Cataracts can affect your color vision, making some hues look faded. Your vision may gradually take on a brownish or yellowish tinge. At first, you may not notice this discoloration. But over time, it may make it harder to distinguish blues and purples.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Sometimes, a cataract may temporarily improve a person’s ability to see close-up, because the cataract acts as a stronger lens. This phenomenon is called second sight, because people who may have once needed reading glasses find that they don’t need them anymore. As the cataract worsens however, this goes away and vision worsens again.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Frequent changes to your eyeglass or contact lens prescription can be a sign of cataracts. This is because cataracts are usually progressive, meaning they get worse over time.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

The majority of cataracts are related to aging. More than half of Americans over 65 have cataracts. Babies are sometimes born with cataracts, also called congenital cataracts, or children may develop them as a result of injury or illness. Exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) light can also increase the risk of cataract and other eye conditions.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

The exact cause of cataracts is unknown. While the risk grows as you get older, these factors may also contribute:

  • Diabetes
  • Smoking
  • Excess alcohol use
  • Eye Injury
  • Prolonged use of corticosteroids
  • Prolonged exposure to sunlight or radiation

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Most cataracts can be diagnosed with an eye exam. Your eye doctor will test your vision and examine your eyes with a slit lamp microscope to look for problems with the lens and other parts of the eye. The pupils are dilated to better examine the back of the eye, where the retina and optic nerve lie.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

If you have vision loss caused by cataracts that can’t be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, you may need surgery to remove the cataracts. In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. The surgery, which is done on an outpatient basis, is safe and extremely effective at improving vision. If cataracts are present in both eyes, surgery will be done on one eye at a time.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

There are 2 main types of cataract surgery. The more common type is called phacoemulsification (phaco) or "Ultrasonics." The doctor makes a tiny incision in the eye and breaks up the lens using ultrasonic waves. The lens is removed, and an intraocular lens (IOL) is put in its place. In most modern cataract surgeries the IOL eliminates the need for thick glasses or a contact lens after surgery.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Recent developments in cataract surgery can correct both near and distance vision. They minimize or eliminate the need for reading glasses after surgery. Conventional "monofocal" lenses only correct for distance vision, meaning reading glasses are still needed after surgery. Multifocal IOLs (Intraocular Lens) can be an option in some patients to help improve both distance and near vision. "Toric" implants are available to correct astigmatism. A lens for better color vision is in development (shown here next to a dime). 

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

For a few days, your eye may be itchy and sensitive to light. You may be prescribed drops to aid healing and asked to wear an eye shield or glasses for protection. It'll take about eight weeks for your eye to heal completely, though your vision should begin to improve soon after surgery. You may still need glasses, at least occasionally, for distance or reading -- as well as a new prescription after healing is complete.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Complications from cataract surgery are rare. The most common risks are bleeding, infection, and changes in eye pressure, which are all treatable when caught early. Surgery slightly raises the risk of retinal detachment, which requires emergency treatment. Sometimes, lens tissue left after surgery and used to support the IOL can become cloudy, even years after surgery. This "after-cataract" is easily and permanently corrected with a laser.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Whether or not to have cataract surgery is up to you and your doctor. Rarely cataracts need to be removed right away, but this isn’t usually the case. Cataracts affect vision slowly over time, so many people wait to have surgery until glasses or contacts no longer improve their vision enough. If you don’t feel that your cataracts are causing problems in your day-to-day life, you may choose to wait.

What are the first signs cataracts are in your eyes?

Things you can do that may lower your risk of developing cataracts:

  • Don't smoke.
  • Always wear a hat and sunglasses in the sun.
  • Keep diabetes well controlled.
  • Limit alcohol consumption.

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REFERENCES:

National Eye Institute: "Facts About Cataract." National Eye Institute: "Age-Related Eye Disease Study--Results." JAMA: "Cataracts." WebMD Medical Reference: "Cataracts and Your Eyes."

Merck Manual: "Cataract."