Eye health resource
What You Need to Know About Cataracts
Learn what cataracts are, common symptoms and risk factors, how they are diagnosed, when surgery is considered, and how cataract care fits into a comprehensive eye exam.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Cataracts are extremely common with age, but they can also develop after eye injury, with certain medical conditions, or in association with some medications.
They usually develop gradually. Early on, you may not notice much change at all.
What does a cataract do to vision?
The natural lens helps focus light onto the retina. As the lens becomes cloudy, light is scattered and vision can become less clear.
Common cataract symptoms include:
- blurry, hazy, or cloudy vision
- colors appearing faded or less vivid
- glare or halos around lights
- increased sensitivity to bright light
- more difficulty seeing at night
- needing prescription changes more often
- double vision in one eye in some cases
These symptoms can also occur with other eye problems, so cataracts should be diagnosed through an eye examination rather than by symptoms alone.
Are cataracts just part of aging?
Age is the most common risk factor, but it is not the only one. Cataracts may be more likely or may progress faster in people with factors such as:
- diabetes
- smoking
- a family history of cataracts
- significant past eye injury
- previous eye surgery
- long-term or substantial corticosteroid exposure
- extensive ultraviolet exposure
Cataracts can occur in one or both eyes, but they do not “spread” from one eye to the other.
How are cataracts diagnosed?
An eye doctor can identify cataracts during a comprehensive eye examination. The exam also helps determine whether the cataract actually explains the patient’s symptoms or whether another condition may be contributing.
Depending on the situation, evaluation can include visual acuity, refraction, slit-lamp examination, retinal assessment, and dilation or imaging when clinically appropriate.
Do cataracts always need surgery?
No. A cataract can be present without needing immediate surgery.
Early cataract symptoms may sometimes be managed with a new glasses prescription, brighter lighting, improved contrast, anti-reflective strategies, or other practical changes.
Surgery becomes more relevant when the cataract interferes with everyday activities such as reading, driving, work, hobbies, or safe mobility—or when removing the cataract is important for another aspect of eye care.
Can eye drops dissolve cataracts?
There is no established eye drop that removes an ordinary age-related cataract. The definitive treatment is cataract surgery, in which the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens.
Be skeptical of products claiming to “reverse” or dissolve cataracts without surgery.
What happens when surgery is needed?
Cataract surgery is performed by an ophthalmic surgeon. The cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens implant. Lens choices and surgical planning can affect the expected need for glasses afterward, so those decisions are individualized.
Park Slope Eye does not perform cataract surgery in the office. We can identify and monitor cataracts, help determine when symptoms warrant surgical consultation, and refer or co-manage with an ophthalmologist when appropriate.
Does everyone see perfectly after cataract surgery?
Many patients see substantially better after uncomplicated cataract surgery, but the final visual result also depends on the health of the retina, optic nerve, cornea, and other structures in the eye. Some people still need glasses for certain distances or tasks.
That is why a good cataract evaluation considers the whole eye, not only the cloudy lens.
Can cataracts be prevented?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent age-related cataracts, but protecting the eyes from ultraviolet exposure, avoiding smoking, protecting against eye injury, and managing conditions such as diabetes are sensible steps for overall eye health.
When should you schedule an exam?
Arrange an eye exam if you notice persistent blur, worsening glare, difficulty driving at night, faded color vision, or frequent unexplained prescription changes.
If vision changes suddenly rather than gradually, do not assume the cause is a cataract—sudden symptoms deserve prompt evaluation for other conditions.
Park Slope Eye evaluates cataracts as part of comprehensive eye exams and Medical Eye Care. When surgery is appropriate, we can help coordinate the next step with an ophthalmic surgeon.
The key point: cataracts are common and treatable, but the decision to have surgery is based on how much the cataract is affecting your vision and daily life, not simply on whether a cataract is present.