Symptoms of Cataract
These are the common cataract symptoms:
1- Painless blurring of vision or cloudy vision. The image appears cloudy and the vision will get worse gradually. Cataract doesn't cause painful red eye unless it is associated with another condition such as glaucoma,inflammation or trauma. Any sudden loss of vision is not related to cataract and you should visit your eye doctor as soon as you can.
Some people especially young patients will complain of blurry vision even with mild cataract while others like old people will not complains of blurred vision even if they have moderate or even mature dense cataract.
Usually the far vision is affected more the near vision but when the cataract is mature or thick enough, the near sight such as reading will be affected also. Some types of cataract such as posterior subcapsular cataract, patients complain of blurry near vision more than far vision.
Second sight is a phenomena in which there is temporary improvement in near vision in patients with nuclear sclerosis cataract. Some patients with this phenomena can even get rid of reading glasses.
2- Frequent changes in the refractive power of the eyeglasses or contact lenses. The natural crystalline lens inside the eyes acts to focus the lights toward the retina. When this lens starts to develop opacity, lights scattered away from the retina. Refractive lens helps to focus the lights into the retina. The opacity of the lens increases gradually with time so the power of the refractive lens also changes with time.
3- Reduce night vision especially with driving
4- Patient needs brighter light than usual for reading.
5- Decrease in color contrast.
6- Light sensitivity and halos around lights.
7- Glare which is sudden decrease in vision with expose to high intensity of light like headlights, lamps, sunlight or when driving at night and you face the light of the coming car.
