What are cataracts? Cataracts are cloudy areas that form in the eye’s natural lens and gradually make vision look blurry, hazy, dim, or less colorful.
For adults in Yuma, the Foothills, and communities throughout southwestern Arizona, cataract symptoms may become especially noticeable in intense daylight or while driving after dark. A cataract evaluation at Aiello Eye Institute can determine whether a cataract, an outdated prescription, dry eye, or another eye condition is affecting your vision.
Cataracts become very common with age. More than half of Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have already undergone cataract surgery. Cataracts usually change vision slowly, and treatment depends on how much they affect daily life.
Cataracts at a Glance
| Topic | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Affected part of the eye | The clear natural lens behind the iris and pupil |
| Common vision changes | Cloudy vision, glare, halos, faded colors, poor night vision, or frequent prescription changes |
| Usual pattern | Gradual progression, sometimes faster in one eye than the other |
| Treatment that removes a cataract | Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial lens |
How Cataracts Affect Vision
The natural lens helps focus light onto the retina at the back of the eye. When the lens remains clear, light passes through it efficiently. As lens proteins change and clump together, cloudy areas can scatter or block incoming light.
A cataract can develop in one eye or both, but it does not spread between them. One eye may progress faster.
Early cataracts may not noticeably affect vision. As cloudiness increases, reading, driving, recognizing faces, or moving through dim spaces may become harder.
Cataract Symptoms in Daily Life
- Blurry, cloudy, hazy, or dim vision
- Glare from sunlight, lamps, or headlights
- Halos around lights
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Colors that look faded, yellowed, or less vivid
- Frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescriptions
- A need for brighter light when reading
- Double or ghosted vision in one eye
These changes usually develop gradually. Aiello Eye Institute’s guide to the early signs of cataracts explains what each symptom may feel. If glare or reduced contrast affects your confidence behind the wheel, review how aging eyes can affect driving safety.
Cataracts do not usually cause severe pain, a red eye, flashes, a sudden shower of floaters, or a curtain across vision. Those symptoms may signal another eye problem that needs prompt attention.
Types of Cataracts
The location of cloudiness within the lens can influence how symptoms develop.
| Cataract Type | Where It Forms | Common Pattern |
| Nuclear cataract | Center of the lens | Often develops gradually with age and may temporarily change near vision |
| Cortical cataract | Outer edge of the lens | Spoke-like areas may move toward the center and increase glare |
| Posterior subcapsular cataract | Back of the lens | May interfere with reading and create glare, sometimes progressing faster |
Age-related cataracts are the most common. Cataracts may also develop after an eye injury, radiation exposure, or another eye procedure. Rarely, children are born with cataracts or develop them during childhood.
Cataract Risk Factors
- Diabetes
- A family history of cataracts
- Smoking or tobacco exposure
- Heavy alcohol use
- Long-term use of corticosteroid medication
- Significant UV exposure
- A previous eye injury or eye surgery
- Radiation treatment involving the upper body
Risk factors make regular eye examinations and practical eye protection more important.
Supporting Eye Health as You Age
No food, supplement, exercise, or eye drop can remove an established cataract. However, several habits support overall eye health and may help reduce some cataract risks:
- Wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB radiation.
- Avoid smoking and tobacco exposure.
- Manage diabetes with your medical care team.
- Use steroid medications only as prescribed.
- Protect your eyes during work, sports, yard projects, and home repairs.
- Keep recommended comprehensive eye examinations.
Yuma’s intense sunlight makes UV protection a practical year-round habit. These steps cannot reverse lens cloudiness, and products that promise a cure for cataracts should be treated with caution. Read more about why cataracts cannot currently be reversed without surgery.
How Eye Doctors Diagnose Cataracts
Your evaluation may include:
- Visual acuity testing
- Refraction to check your glasses prescription
- A slit-lamp examination of the cornea and lens
- Eye-pressure measurement
- A dilated examination of the retina and optic nerve
- Additional measurements when cataract surgery is under consideration
The examination can also identify conditions that may influence treatment or expected vision after surgery.
Cataract Treatment and the Timing of Surgery
Updated glasses, brighter task lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, magnification, or larger digital text may improve early cataract symptoms. These strategies do not remove the cataract, and they often become less effective as cloudiness progresses.
Cataract surgery is the only treatment that removes a cataract. During the procedure, the surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens (IOL).
A cataract does not need surgery simply because an eye doctor detects it. Surgery may become appropriate when vision interferes with reading, driving, work, hobbies, safety, or independence. A doctor may also recommend removal when a cataract blocks the evaluation or treatment of another eye condition.
The right timing depends on your symptoms, eye health, medical history, and goals. Patients preparing for this decision can review common cataract surgery questions and how to prepare for cataract surgery.
Replacement Lens Options and Glasses
The IOL remains in the eye after surgery. Options differ in the range of vision they aim to provide and whether they address astigmatism.
- A standard monofocal lens generally focuses at one selected distance.
- A toric lens can address eligible corneal astigmatism.
- Multifocal, trifocal, or extended-focus lenses may provide a broader range of vision for selected patients.
No lens guarantees freedom from glasses. Your eye health, prescription, visual priorities, and tolerance for optical tradeoffs affect the recommendation. Aiello Eye Institute explains its available cataract lens options and technology, while the guide to glasses after cataract surgery compares common post-treatment vision needs.
What to Expect After Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. You will need someone to drive you home, and your surgeon will provide instructions about eye drops, eye protection, activity limits, follow-up visits, and symptoms that require a call.
Vision may look blurry at first. Recovery varies, and healing continues for several weeks. Other eye conditions can affect the final result. Follow your surgeon’s directions rather than a generic schedule.
The Aiello Eye Institute guide to cataract surgery recovery provides additional planning information.
Sudden Vision Changes Are Not Typical Cataract Symptoms
Cataracts usually progress gradually and without pain. Sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, increasing redness, new flashes, many new floaters, or a curtain-like shadow should not be blamed on a cataract.
During business hours, call Aiello Eye Institute immediately at (928) 782-1980 for sudden vision loss, pain, or redness. Do not use the online appointment form for urgent symptoms. After hours, call 911. Do not drive yourself if a change in vision makes driving unsafe.
Request a Cataract Evaluation in Yuma
You do not have to guess whether cloudy vision, glare, poor night vision, or faded colors come from cataracts or another eye condition. An examination can identify the cause and clarify whether monitoring, updated glasses, or surgery makes sense.
Aiello Eye Institute provides cataract evaluations at its Yuma Office and Foothills Office, with surgical care available at the Yuma Surgery Center. Request an appointment with Aiello Eye Institute or call (928) 782-1980.