what do cataracts look like

Cataracts usually do not make your eye look dramatically different at first, but they can change both how your eye appears and how the world looks to you as they progress.

Quick Scoop: What do cataracts look like?

How the eye itself can look

• In early stages, the eye often looks completely normal from the outside. You usually cannot see a cataract just by looking in the mirror.

• As cataracts become more advanced, the pupil (the black center of the eye) can start to look:
  • Milky or cloudy white.

* Grayish or dull instead of deep black.

* In very advanced (“mature” or “hypermature”) stages, the center of the eye can look milky white or even amber.

Think of it as a clear lens slowly turning frosted or foggy behind your pupil.

How your vision can look with cataracts

People often describe vision with cataracts like this:

• Like looking through a foggy or frosted window.
• Everything looks blurred or hazy, even when you clean your glasses.
• Colors look faded or yellowed, as if you’re seeing the world through an old, sepia-tinted filter.

• Bright lights (sun, oncoming headlights) feel harsher, with more glare and discomfort.

• Halos or rings around lights at night, making night driving hard.

• You may need brighter light to read, and small print or fine details get harder to see.

• Sometimes double vision in one eye (seeing two images with that eye alone).

An example: reading a street sign that used to be crisp can start to feel like you’re seeing it through a steamy bathroom mirror.

How cataracts change over time

• Early: Mild clouding of the lens; vision slightly blurry or strained; eye looks normal from the outside.

• Moderate: Blurriness and glare are more obvious, night driving and low-light activities become difficult, colors look dull.

• Advanced: Vision can be severely impaired, with very cloudy view and obvious white/gray change in the pupil for some people.

Cataracts usually develop slowly over years, especially in older adults.

When to see a doctor

You should get an eye exam soon if you notice:

• Gradually worsening blurred or cloudy vision.
• Trouble driving at night because of glare or halos.
• Colors looking faded or yellowish.
• Needing more light to read or do close work.

Most cataracts can be treated very effectively with surgery when they start to interfere with your daily life.

Note: Only an eye care professional (optometrist or ophthalmologist) can confirm if what you’re seeing is a cataract or something else. If you’re worried about your vision or notice a cloudy spot in your eye, get checked as soon as you can.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.