Cataracts: Symptoms, Causes & When to Seek Help

What Is a Cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens — the natural, clear part of the eye that helps focus light. When the lens becomes cloudy, light can no longer pass through clearly, and the images your brain receives become blurred, dull or "milky".

Cataracts usually develop slowly, often as part of normal ageing. Many people don't notice anything wrong at first; the change is so gradual that the world just seems a little less sharp than it used to be. That's why regular eye check-ups catch them sooner.

Common Symptoms to Watch For

Symptoms vary from person to person, but the most common signs include:

• Vision that is blurry, cloudy or hazy, like looking through a foggy window
• Colours that appear faded or yellowish
• Halos or glare around lights — especially at night
• Difficulty driving at night, or headlights seeming overly bright
• Frequent changes to glasses or contact lens prescriptions
• Seeing double in one eye, or poor vision even in bright light

If two or more of these sound familiar, it's worth having your eyes checked — even if your vision still feels "OK".

What Causes Cataracts?

The leading cause is simply ageing — most cataracts appear after 60. But there are other risk factors:

• Long-term exposure to UV sunlight without protection
• Diabetes, which accelerates lens clouding
• A family history of cataracts
• Smoking or excessive alcohol use
• Prolonged use of certain medications, such as steroids
• A previous eye injury or eye surgery

How Is a Cataract Diagnosed?

Diagnosing a cataract is straightforward. At our clinic we examine your eyes under a slit lamp — a special microscope that lets us see your lens in fine detail — and measure how well light focuses on your retina.

When Should You Seek Help?

There is no "correct" time to treat a cataract — it depends on how much it affects your daily life. But you should make an appointment if:

• Blurry vision interferes with driving, reading or everyday tasks
• You notice a sudden worsening of vision — this needs urgent attention
• You experience eye pain, redness or sensitivity to light with the blurriness
• It has been more than a year since your last full eye examination