Cloudy, Blurry Vision With Age? Understanding Cataracts
Colours looking faded, glare at night, vision like a foggy window? Cataracts are a common part of ageing — and one of the most successfully treatable eye conditions. Here is what to know.
Maybe reading has become harder, night driving feels dazzling, or the world looks a little like you are seeing it through a foggy window. For millions of people over 50, the reason is cataracts — a natural clouding of the eye's lens that comes with age. The reassuring news: it is extremely common, it is not an emergency, and it is one of the most successfully treated conditions in all of medicine. Here is a calm guide.
What a Cataract Is
Inside your eye is a clear lens that focuses light so you see sharply. With age, the proteins in that lens can clump and cloud — like a clear window slowly frosting over. That cloudiness is a cataract, and it usually develops gradually over years, most often in both eyes (though not always at the same pace).
Common Signs
- Blurry, cloudy, or "misty" vision
- Colours looking faded or yellowed
- Glare and halos around lights, especially at night
- Trouble driving after dark
- Needing brighter light to read
- Frequently changing your spectacle number
Who Gets Them
Age is the main factor, but risk rises with diabetes, long-term sun exposure, smoking, some medicines (like long-term steroids), and eye injuries. Protecting your eyes from strong sun and managing diabetes well can help slow things down.
When to See a Doctor
See an ophthalmologist if vision is gradually clouding, night glare troubles you, or your spectacle number keeps changing — and promptly if vision drops suddenly, which is a different, more urgent problem. Regular eye check-ups after 40 catch cataracts and other conditions like glaucoma early. An online consultation can help you decide whether an in-person exam is the next step.