Frequently asked questions about cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye. Your lens sits just behind your iris, the coloured part of your eye. Normally, your lens is clear and helps to focus the light entering your eye. Developing cataracts will cause your sight to become cloudy, misty, and sometimes blurry.

Cataracts usually affect both eyes but can affect just one eye or affect one eye more than the other. Cataracts are treated by surgery, during which the cloudy lens is removed and replaced by an artificial lens.

If you have any changes in vision, you should book an eye test, and if symptoms develop quickly within a few days or weeks, this should be treated as an emergency.

Cataracts normally develop very slowly. At first, the changes they make to your sight may be difficult to notice, but as they get worse, you’ll start to notice symptoms such as:

• Feeling like your glasses are dirty and need cleaning, even when they don’t 

• Your sight is misty and cloudy 

• You’re more sensitive to light – bright sunlight or car headlamps may glare more 

• Everything looks a little more washed out than it should be.

Developing cataracts is a normal part of growing older. Most people start to develop cataracts after the age of 65, but some people in their 40s and 50s can also develop cataracts.

Certain factors increase your risk of developing cataracts such as:

• Diabetes – people with diabetes often develop cataracts earlier.
• Trauma – eye injury can cause cataracts in the affected eye. -
• Medications – prescription drugs e.g. steroids.
• Eye surgery – previous surgery to the retina.
• Eye conditions – e.g. retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, uveitis.
• Having high myopia - severe short-sightedness.

Despite this, most cataracts are treated with the same surgery.

Some cataracts develop in infancy; these are called congenital cataracts and are managed differently. For more information on these kinds of cataracts, click here.

Cataracts themselves are not typically painful. In the early stages, you may not even notice any symptoms.

However, as cataracts progress and cloudiness in the lens worsens, you may experience changes in vision, such as blurriness or sensitivity to light. If you experience any discomfort or sudden light sensitivity, it is essential you seek advice from your eye care professional, as this is not typical of cataracts and can indicate there is another eye problem.

Cataracts do not pass directly from one eye to the other, like a contagious condition. However, it is common to develop cataracts in both eyes around the same time if you have underlying risk factors such as ageing, genetics or certain medical conditions.

Driving with cataracts can be dangerous as they can significantly affect your vision. Speak to your optician to assess if it’s safe for you to drive with a few simple eye tests.

Although there aren’t any medicines that can remove cataracts, treatment options include:

• Using aids and adaptations
• Having surgery to remove cataracts

There isn’t any medicine or drops that can remove or treat cataracts – surgery is the only way to treat them. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to stop cataracts from developing or getting worse, however it’s a good idea to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) light.

Cataracts can be removed at any stage and you don’t need to wait for them to ‘ripen’ before having surgery. Whether or not you need surgery right away depends on the severity of your cataracts and how they affect your vision and quality of life.

In some cases, early-stage cataracts might not impact your vision and updating your glasses prescription or using brighter lighting might be enough. However, as cataracts progress, surgery may be the best option.