Cataracts in adults
Overview
Cataracts is where the lens in your eye becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision and loss of sight. It usually affects older adults and can be treated with surgery.
Symptoms
Symptoms of cataracts usually develop slowly. You'll often have cataracts in both eyes but the symptoms may be different in each eye. Symptoms include: blurred visiondifficulty seeing at nightdifficulty reading and watching televisionyour eyes being uncomfortable in, or sensitive to, light and glarelooking at 1 object but seeing 2 (double vision)seeing glowing rings (halos) around lightscolours look faded, especially blue If you wear glasses, you may notice that you need to change the prescription of your glasses more often than usual.
Causes
You may be more likely to get cataracts if: you're aged 60 or overyou've had an eye injury or eye surgery in the pastyou have another eye condition, such asuveitisor being veryshort-sightedyou've takensteroid medicinesfor long periods of timeyou smokea parent, brother or sister has had cataractsyou're a womanyour eyes have been regularly exposed to a lot of sunlight without protection such as sunglasses Some long-term health conditions can also increase your risk of getting cataracts, such astype 2 diabetes, severe dermatitis andhigh blood pressure.
Treatment
Cataracts do not usually need treatment straight away. Over time cataracts will get worse and you'll needcataract surgeryif you want to to improve your sight. A GP or eye specialist will talk to you about whether or not you want surgery. This may depend on: how cataracts are affecting your daily lifeif cataracts are in one or both eyes If you decide to have surgery, there may be a wait for treatment. Ask your eye specialist how long you'll have to wait. Cataract surgery is done under a local anaesthetic. This means you'll be awake but you will not feel any pain. The cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one. You should be able to go home on the same day. If you have cataracts in both eyes, they'll be treated on separate days.
Prevention
Regular eye exams; protect eyes from UV with sunglasses; manage diabetes and blood pressure; quit smoking; reduce alcohol; healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables; maintain healthy weight.
When to see a doctor
See optician/GP if: vision changes; difficulty reading or driving; regularly need brighter lights. Seek immediate help for: sudden vision changes; flashes of light; sudden eye pain; sudden headache.