Cataracts

While a comprehensive eye examination can determine for certain if you have a cataract forming, there are a number of signs and symptoms that may indicate a cataract.

Among them are:

Gradual blurring or hazy vision where colors may seem yellowed.
The appearance of dark spots or shadows that seem to move when the eye moves.
A tendency to become more nearsighted because of increasing density of the lens.
Double vision in one eye only.
A gradual loss of color vision.
A stage where it is easier to see without glasses.
The feeling of having a film over the eyes.
An increased sensitivity to glare, especially at night.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear crystalline lens of the eye. This prevents the lens from properly focusing light on the retina at the back of the eye, resulting in a loss of vision. A cataract is not a film that grows over the surface of the eye, as is often commonly thought.

Why are they called cataracts?

Sometimes cataracts can be seen as a milkiness on the normally black pupil. In ancient times, it was believed this cloudiness was caused by a waterfall - or cataract - behind the eye.