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Symptoms of Cataracts

Many people do not know that they are losing their eyesight. It happens slowly over time as the cataract grows.

You may have:

  • Cloudy or blurry eyesight
  • Problems seeing contrast
  • Poor eyesight at night
  • Problems reading
  • Seeing two or more images
  • Problems seeing things that are far away
  • Colors that seem faded or images that have a yellow tint
  • Problems with light, such as:
    • Headlights that seem too bright
    • Glare from lamps or sunlight
    • A halo around lights
    • Trying to read in bright light
    • Problems when moving from a dark place to a bright place

These things can also be from other eye problems. If you have any of them, see your eye doctor right away.

REFERENCES:

Cataract. American Optometric Association website. Available at: https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/cataract?sso=y. Accessed February 13, 2019.

Cataracts in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116240/Cataracts-in-adults. Updated November 28, 2016. Accessed May 10, 2017.

Facts about cataract. National Eye Institute website. Available at: https://nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts. Updated September 2015. Accessed February 13, 2019.

Informed consent: obtaining from patients undergoing surgery. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at:http://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Updated September 14, 2018. Accessed February 13, 2019.

What are cataracts? American Academy of Ophthalmology website. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-cataracts. Updated November 9, 2018. Accessed February 13, 2019.

Last reviewed December 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review BoardJames P. Cornell, MD