Signs You May Have A Cataract

Posted on: 24 August 2021

A cataract is an eye condition that mostly affects the elderly, but it can still affect younger individuals. A cataract starts small and continues to grow with time. Identifying this eye condition early makes it easy to treat. 

Therefore, it's important to check for signs that can alert you that something is wrong with your eye. Below are a few common symptoms that appear when a cataract starts to develop. Make sure you visit an eye doctor as soon as you notice any of the following signs.

Changes in Eye Color

Cataracts are notorious for causing discoloration in your eyes, and this change cannot go unnoticed. Once the cataract begins to mature, it will cause your eye color to fade. If your eye color was bright, it will become less intense. Cataracts may give your eyes a yellow or brown color. 

Increased Light Sensitivity

Light sensitivity is yet another problem that's associated with eye cataracts. As cataracts mature, they'll make it harder for you to focus in normal and bright light conditions. You'll often find bright sources of light becoming too harsh for your eyes. Besides, you might develop problems with light sensitivity and glare as light becomes scattered. 

Frequent Lens Prescription Changes

If you develop cataracts and you have been wearing glasses, you'll find yourself needing frequent prescription changes. At first, you might think that your short-sightedness or long-sightedness is improving, only for your vision to deteriorate after a few days. So, if you need to change your lens prescription often, don't hesitate to get your eyes examined for cataracts. 

Double Vision

Double vision is also known as diplopia, and it can happen if one of your eyes has a cataract. As the name suggests, double vision refers to a situation where you see two images of a single object. A cataract can interfere with how light passes through the lens, causing double vision. Double vision can occur as the cloudiness in the eye lens becomes more widespread.  

Difficulty Driving at Night

The other sign you have cataracts developing is when you start struggling to drive at night. Cataracts make it hard for you to tell the difference between light and dark. Sometimes you'll experience headaches from looking at street lamps or headlights when driving at night. 

Other patients complain of seeing halos or glare around lights while driving at night. These problems can lead to car accidents, and there's no reason to risk your life because of your cataracts. 

If any of the above symptoms appear, book an appointment with your optometrist so they can diagnose and treat the problem early. 

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