How Do I Know if I Have Cataracts?

Common symptoms to look out for

Cataracts are painless¹ and they usually develop very slowly, so you might not notice the symptoms at first.²

The best way to diagnose a cataract (or any eye problem) in its early stages is to make sure you have regular eye examinations.³ Talk to your eye care professional about how often you should get your eyes checked.³

You may be developing a cataract (or multiple cataracts) if you notice the following changes in your vision:

You see cloudy areas in your vision which grow bigger over time³
Your glasses always appear to be dirty or smudged, even when they’re clean²
You need to change your prescription glasses or contact lenses more often³
You’re more sensitive to bright lights and sunlight²
You start to see ‘halos’ around lights³
You have double vision in one eye³
You find it more difficult to see at night³
Colours start to look washed out, faded or yellow^2,3

When should I get medical help?

Make an appointment for an eye exam if you start to notice any changes in your vision.³

The type of health care professional you see will depend on the level of care you need.⁴ These are the different types of eye care providers and what they do:⁴

Ophthalmologist: A medical doctor (Eye M.D.) specialising in eye care and vision care.⁴ Ophthalmologists are trained and licensed to diagnose and treat all eye diseases, perform eye surgery and prescribe glasses or contact lenses.⁴

Optometrist: A health care professional (not a medical doctor but a doctor of optometry, or OD)⁴ who provides primary vision-care services.⁴ An optometrist can perform eye exams and vision tests, and can prescribe medications for certain eye diseases only.⁴ They can also prescribe corrective glasses or contact lenses.⁴

Optician: A technician trained to design and fit glasses lenses and frames and contact lenses, using a prescription provided by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.⁴ An optician cannot perform eye exams and cannot diagnose or treat any eye diseases.⁴

Your health care provider will consider your symptoms and your medical history, as well as checking your eyes.⁵

There are a few different ways an eye care professional can check for cataracts and other eye conditions,⁵ including:

Visual acuity test: Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will use an eye chart to test how well you can read a series of letters from largest to smallest.⁵ Each eye will be tested individually, while your other eye is covered.⁵

Retinal exam: Your ophthalmologist will put special drops in your eye to make the pupil grow wider, making it easier to examine the back of your eye (the retina).⁵

Slit-lamp examination: A slit lamp is a special microscope that uses a line of intense light to let your ophthalmologist take a close look at your cornea, iris and lens to see whether they look normal.⁵

An ophthalmologist or optometrist might also ask you some of these questions:⁵

When did your symptoms start?
Do your symptoms come and go or are they there all the time?
Have your symptoms become worse over time?
Do your symptoms make it difficult for you to drive, read or do your job?
Have you had an eye injury or eye surgery in the past?

If you have cataracts, your ophthalmologist will discuss the next steps with you, including possible surgery.⁵ Find out more about cataract surgery here.