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Summary
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye. It affects your vision. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other. Common symptoms are:
- Blurry vision
- Colors that seem faded
- Glare - headlights, lamps or sunlight may seem too bright. You may also see a halo around lights.
- Not being able to see well at night
- Double vision
- Frequent prescription changes in your eye wear
Cataracts usually develop slowly. New glasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses can help at first. Surgery is also an option. It involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block ultraviolet sunlight may help to delay cataracts.
NIH: National Eye Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
- Dilating Eye Drops (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
- Eye Exam and Vision Testing Basics (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
- Preoperative Testing (American Academy of Ophthalmology)
Treatments and Therapies
- Cataract Surgery (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
- Cataract surgery - series -- Normal anatomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- IOL Implants: Lens Replacement after Cataracts (Intraocular Lenses) (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Facts and Myths about Cataracts (Prevent Blindness America) - PDF
- Intraocular Lens Dislocation (American Society of Retina Specialists)
- Retained Lens Fragments (American Society of Retina Specialists)
Specifics
- Cloudy Vision? It Could be Cataracts (National Institutes of Health)
- What Do Cataracts Look Like? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
Genetics
- Autosomal dominant optic atrophy and cataract: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
- Hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Images
- Cataracts (VisualDX)
Statistics and Research
- Eye Health Data and Statistics (National Eye Institute)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Cataract (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Lenses, Intraocular (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- How the Eyes Work (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
- NEI for Kids: Glossary (National Eye Institute)
Find an Expert
- American Foundation for the Blind
- Find an Ophthalmologist (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
- Finding an Eye Doctor (National Eye Institute)
- National Eye Institute
Children
- Cataract (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
- Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL) (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
Older Adults
- Aging and Health: Cataracts (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Cataract - adult (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cataract removal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Slit-lamp exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Standard eye exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish