The Symptoms of Cataracts
The left picture shows the visual quality in a patient before developing a cataract; the middle and right images show the effect of early-stage and advanced cataract, respectively.
Early visual symptoms of cataract
Early symptoms include increased glare, an need for brighter lighting when reading, and needing a longer time to adjust to changes in ambient lighting.
Light scattered by the cataract
Symptoms of advanced cataract
In later stages, people’s visual acuity gradually decreases and can not be properly corrected even with glasses. In addition, patients become even more short-sighted due to the compression of the lens. Sometimes, this can mean that people can see near objects without reading glasses, but this effect is only temporary. If left untreated, cataracts can become completely opaque, blocking light and eventually leading to blindness.
