What are cataracts and how can you protect your vision?
Medically reviewed by FYidoctors' Editorial Team
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Cataracts affect millions of Canadians and are a leading cause of vision loss worldwide if left untreated. While they can’t be entirely prevented, you can take steps to reduce the risk of progression.
Knowing which symptoms to watch for and detecting early changes through regular eye exams is an important step in protecting your long-term eye health.
What are cataracts?
Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens—the part of the eye that focuses light onto the retina so you can see clearly. Over time, proteins in the lens break down and clump together, causing vision to become blurry, dim, or hazy.
Early detection can help you manage cataracts before they begin to interfere more significantly with daily activities like reading, driving, or working.
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Common symptoms of cataracts can include:
Blurry or cloudy vision
Glare or halos around lights
Difficulty seeing at night
Faded or yellowed colours
Frequent changes in prescription
Needing brighter light for reading or close work
While cataracts are common as we age, some factors can increase the risk of developing them earlier or more quickly, including:
Being over 60 years old
Diabetes
Smoking
Long-term corticosteroid use
Previous eye injury or eye surgery
Too much UV exposure without proper eye protection
A family history of cataracts
What type of cataract do you have?
There are three main types of cataracts:
Nuclear cataracts
Nuclear cataracts are the most common type and form in the centre of the lens. They are usually age-related and develop slowly, which can make them harder to notice at first.
Cortical cataracts
Cortical cataracts begin at the outer edge of the lens and move inward. They can scatter light as it enters the eye, which may lead to blurry vision, glare, and trouble seeing clearly in bright or low-light conditions. This type is more common in people with diabetes.
Posterior subcapsular cataracts
Posterior subcapsular cataracts form at the back of the lens, beneath the lens capsule, and progress faster than other cataracts. They affect reading vision, glare sensitivity, and brightness tolerance. This type is most common in people with diabetes, high myopia, certain retinal conditions, or corticosteroid use.
Diagnosing cataracts
A routine eye exam can help identify cataracts early, often before they begin to noticeably affect your day-to-day vision. At FYidoctors, a comprehensive eye exam can help spot changes in the lens and monitor progress over time. Advanced technology can support early detection and a better understanding of your overall eye health.
Your optometrist may look for:
Changes in lens clarity
Reduced visual sharpness
Increased glare sensitivity
Other eye health concerns that may affect your vision
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Treating cataracts
Most cataracts are age-related and can begin developing in your 60s. In the early stages, they may be managed with updated eyeglass prescriptions, yellow-tined lenses to manage glare, and improved lighting. These options can’t remove cataracts, but they can ease symptoms while they’re still mild.
If vision worsens, then a cataract surgery—one of the most commonly performed procedures in the world—is the next step. During surgery, the cloudy natural lens is replaced with a clear artificial intraocular (IOL) lens, which the patient can choose based on their visual needs: single-vision distance, single-vision near, one of each (monovision), or multifocal lenses. Following surgery, most patients see clearly within a few days.
Slowing cataracts and choosing your lens
You can't prevent cataracts entirely, but you can slow them down. Wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB, even on cloudy days. Don't smoke; smokers face roughly double the risk. Keep blood sugar and blood pressure under control, eat leafy greens, citrus and fatty fish for lutein, vitamin C and omega-3s, and stay hydrated. Most importantly, keep up regular eye exams from age 40 so changes are tracked early.
If surgery does become necessary, the artificial lens implanted, called an intraocular lens (IOL), is chosen to fit your lifestyle. Monofocal lenses give sharp vision at one distance, usually far. Toric lenses correct astigmatism at the same time. Multifocal and extended-depth-of-focus lenses cover several distances and reduce the need for glasses. Your optometrist helps you weigh the options before surgery and manages your follow-up care afterward.
FAQs
What is the first sign of cataracts?
The first sign is usually subtle blur or haze, like looking through a fogged window, along with glare or halos around headlights at night. You may need brighter light to read, notice colours look yellowed, or find your glasses prescription changes more often than it used to. Cataracts don't cause pain or redness.
What is the main cause of cataracts?
Age is the main cause. After 40, proteins in the eye's lens gradually break down and clump together, scattering light instead of focusing it. Diabetes, smoking, heavy UV exposure, long-term corticosteroid use, eye injury and family history can speed the process up, but most cataracts are simply part of getting older.
Can cataracts be cured without surgery?
No. No eye drops, supplements or exercises can reverse a cataract. In the early stages, an updated glasses prescription, anti-glare or tinted lenses and brighter lighting manage the symptoms well. Surgery, which replaces the cloudy lens with a clear artificial one, is the only treatment that removes a cataract.
At what stage should cataracts be removed?
Cataracts should be removed when they interfere with daily activities such as driving, reading or recognizing faces, not at a set stage. Your optometrist tracks progression at each exam and refers you to a surgeon when the timing is right. Most people see clearly within days of the procedure.
Can young people get cataracts?
Yes, though it's uncommon. Cataracts can appear in children (congenital cataracts), or in younger adults after an eye injury, eye surgery, radiation, long-term steroid use or with diabetes. Any unexplained blur, glare or colour change at any age warrants a comprehensive eye exam.
At what age do cataracts start?
Lens changes typically begin after age 40, but most people don't notice symptoms until their 60s. By 65, over 90% of people have some detectable lens clouding. Diabetes, smoking, heavy UV exposure and long-term corticosteroid use can bring cataracts on earlier, which is why exams every one to two years matter from age 40 on.