Surgery – How can you tell if you have cataracts?

Cataracts usually develop with age and may not be at all noticeable for some time, even after they have begun to develop. 

Signs and symptoms of having cataracts can include: 

• Colours may appear more faded.
• Sensitivity to light and glare; you may also see halos around lights (e.g. car headlights or street lights)   
• Needing to change your glasses or contact lens prescription more regularly than usual. 
• Your vision may be blurred or clouded, and you may need brighter lights to read. 
• You may have increased difficulty with seeing at night. 

Even when your cataracts and their symptoms do become noticeable, they may be so minor that for some time, they don’t interfere with your vision or life in any way. 

Once cataracts begin to become noticeable, they present themselves as visible, clouded patches within the lens of the eye. The growth of your cataracts is likely to be slow, but once they have developed to the point that they impede your vision, cataract surgery will be necessary to enable you to see properly again. 

There’s no need to worry, though, cataracts surgery is one of the most commonly carried out operations in the UK, is completely painless and usually takes 20 minutes.