Vision – Can cataracts improve vision?

In short, no. If left untreated, cataracts will make your vision worse, not better. However, cataract surgery will markedly improve your vision compared to what it was like before surgery. 

Cataracts are usually age-related. They’re the result of protein in your eye’s natural lens breaking down, which – although unnoticeable at first – can eventually leave you struggling to see out of the affected eye. 

To begin with, you might not even notice that you have cataracts and – once you do begin noticing some mild symptoms – they can usually be resolved by using a brighter light to read, for example.  

Once your cataracts have developed to the point where your vision is noticeably suffering and you can no longer self-manage your symptoms, cataract surgery is the only way to improve your eyesight.