A cataract is clouding of the natural lens that sits behind the coloured part of your eye. The lens should be clear; as it turns cloudy and yellow, light scatters and the image reaching the retina loses sharpness and contrast.
Cataracts are mostly a normal part of ageing and the leading cause of reversible sight loss worldwide. They usually develop slowly over years, often in both eyes but unevenly. Nothing reverses them except surgery, and surgery is only needed when the cataract interferes with your life.
Symptoms
- Gradually blurring or misty vision, like looking through a dirty window
- Glare and dazzle from headlights and low sun
- Colours looking faded or yellowed
- Needing brighter light to read
- Frequent changes in glasses prescription, sometimes a temporary improvement in near vision
- Double or ghost images in one eye
- Difficulty driving at night
Causes and risk factors
Lens proteins change and clump with age, which accounts for most cataracts after 60. Diabetes, smoking, heavy alcohol use, long exposure to ultraviolet light, high short-sightedness, long-term steroid tablets, inhalers or drops, previous eye surgery such as vitrectomy, eye injury and inflammation inside the eye all bring cataracts on earlier. Some babies are born with cataracts or develop them in childhood because of genetic conditions or infection during pregnancy; these are managed quite differently and urgently.
How it is diagnosed
- Visual acuity and glare testing: Measures how much vision is affected, including under bright light.
- Slit lamp examination with dilated pupils: Shows the type and density of the cataract.
- Retinal examination and OCT: Checks whether the macula and optic nerve are healthy, which sets expectations for surgery.
- Biometry and corneal topography: Done once surgery is planned, to choose lens power and detect astigmatism.
Treatment options
- Updated glasses and better lighting: Enough in the early stages. Anti-glare lenses and a brimmed hat help.
- Monitoring: A mild cataract can be reviewed every 6 to 12 months. Waiting does not make surgery less successful unless the cataract becomes very dense.
- Cataract surgery: The cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one through a tiny incision. See the cataract surgery page.
- Lens choice: Monofocal, toric or multifocal lenses, chosen according to your eyes and priorities.
- Eye drops and supplements sold for cataract: No drop or vitamin has been shown to clear a cataract.
When it is urgent
Cataracts do not cause sudden loss of vision, pain or a red eye. If you have any of these, or flashes, new floaters or a curtain over your vision, something else is going on and you need same-day eye care near you. A white pupil or a wandering eye in a baby needs urgent paediatric ophthalmology review.
Travelling to Türkiye for treatment
Cataract surgery is one of the more sensible eye operations to travel for: it is planned, short, and early recovery is quick. Both eyes can usually be treated in a stay of 7 to 10 days. Bring any recent eye reports, a list of medicines (especially tamsulosin-type prostate drugs and blood thinners) and your glasses. You will need a routine check with an optometrist or ophthalmologist at home at about 4 to 6 weeks for new glasses.
Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
Does a cataract have to be ripe before surgery?
No. That idea dates from older techniques. The right time is when vision problems affect driving, work or daily life.
Can cataracts be prevented?
Not entirely. Not smoking, controlling diabetes and wearing sunglasses slow them down.
Will a cataract damage my eye if I leave it?
Rarely. A very advanced cataract can raise eye pressure and makes surgery harder, but there is normally no rush.
Can I drive with cataracts?
Only if you still meet the legal vision standard in your country. Glare at night is often the first real difficulty.