How Do You Know If You Have Cataracts?

What Are Cataracts?

Before you get worried about the symptoms, it’s important to understand what exactly cataracts are. They occur when the lens in the eye becomes cloudy and interferes with vision by diffusing light as it passes through the eye. This results in cloudy or misty vision.

Over time, cataracts will become worse and start to affect your vision. If cataracts are left untreated, the individual will eventually go blind.

Who Can Get Cataracts?

Cataracts affect everyone as they age. However, it is also possible to have cataracts at a younger age due to medication, genetics or an impact to the eye.

Around half of Australians aged 65 to 74 are affected. They are very common and are the main cause of preventable blindness around the world. Both men and women are equally prone to cataracts.

Unfortunately, cataracts are an inevitable part of aging. However, some of the factors below may increase your risk. This includes:

• Your family history

• Diabetes

• Other eye decease

• Eye surgery or injury

• Taking high doses of corticosteroid medication

• Excess UV exposure

SYMPTOMS OF CATARACTS: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE GETTING CATARACTS?

For most people, cataracts symptoms can go unnoticed for quite some time. They generally don’t cause pain or make your eyes red. However, cataracts eventually will occur in both eyes. Each eye may produce different symptoms.

The most common and noticeable symptom of cataracts is to have blurred, misty or clouded vision. You may also notice that night vision becomes difficult due to glare, making driving at night much more dangerous.

But there are other ways to know you have cataracts:

• Difficulty seeing well in dim or bright lighting

• Your glasses becoming less effective over time

• Experiencing more glare around lights at night, like car headlights and streetlamps

• Double vision

• Colours appearing dull, faded or unclear

• Everything looking opaque or with a yellow tinge

• Glare from bright lights becoming too uncomfortable to look at

CAN AN OPTOMETRIST DIAGNOSE CATARACTS?

You should see an Optometrist at least once a year so that you can have your eyes examined and your sight tested. Often, when there is a problem with your vision, it’s already too late.

To check for cataracts, the optometrist will use a slit lamp that magnifies your eyes with a bright light so that they can more easily look into them. If they suspect you have cataracts, they will refer you to an ophthalmologist who can confirm the diagnosis and ultimately commence treatment.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS WHEN DIAGNOSED WITH CATARACTS?

Your ophthalmologist will help you assess the right treatment option after diagnosing you. Some treatments include Cataract Surgery, Laser Cataract Surgery and IOL Interocular Lens.

Are you worried about your symptoms? Book a free consultation with personalEYES at one of our clinics in NSW and Canberra.

FAQs

Can you feel cataracts in your eyes?

No, cataracts don’t usually cause physical discomfort. Instead, they affect how you see, leading to symptoms like blurred vision, glare or difficulty seeing at night rather than pain or irritation.

How do you know if you have cataracts?

Early signs of cataracts often include cloudy or blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light and colours appearing faded. If you’re wondering how do you know if you are getting cataracts, regular eye tests are the best way to detect changes early and confirm a diagnosis.

What happens if cataracts are left untreated?

If left untreated, cataracts can gradually worsen and lead to significant vision loss. While they develop slowly, early assessment and ongoing monitoring can help determine the right time for treatment and maintain quality of life.