A cataract is a clouding of the part of your eye called the lens. This is a very common condition as we get older, and can occur in one or both eyes.
Cataracts are usually painless, but they lead to a gradual worsening of your sight.
Symptoms often include
- Things appearing blurred round the edges
- Seeing double
- Poor vision in bright light
- Change of colour vision
- As the condition worsens, your vision typically gets more clouded and becomes like looking through a frosted window.
We strongly recommend that you have your eyes tested every two years. Cataracts are sometimes diagnosed during a routine eye test, even if you are aware of no symptoms.
Treatment
The recommended treatment for cataracts is generally surgical removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with a new plastic lens. This is a routine operation nowadays, and is normally carried out under local anaesthetic.