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Cataracts: the signs, who is at risk, the eye exam, deciding when, and cataract surgery
For anyone just told they have a cataract; anyone whose vision is getting cloudy, faded or full of glare; anyone 60 or older wondering when to get checked; anyone deciding about surgery or getting ready for it; anyone whose vision is cloudy again after surgery; and parents of a child with a cataract. The National Eye Institute (NEI, part of the NIH) says a cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye; that cataracts are very common as you get older, so that by age 80 most people have them or have had surgery for them; that most people do not need to rush into surgery; and that surgery is the only way to get rid of a cataract, is very safe, and helps about 9 out of 10 people see better. This page passes on, by name, what NEI says: the signs, who is at risk, the types and protecting your eyes, the dilated eye exam, what helps before surgery and deciding when, and surgery from getting ready to healing. It builds the words to say to an eye doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- After cataract surgery, vision loss, bad pain that will not go away, very red eyes, or floaters (flashes of light, or a lot of dark spots or squiggly lines): call your eye doctor right away (NEI). If you cannot reach them, go to an emergency room, and call 911 if you cannot get there; do not drive yourself (ours).
- A sudden change in your vision, or sudden eye pain? A cataract usually changes vision slowly; this is different: get seen the same day (ours). Hurt your eye? Our eye injury guide says what to do first.
- Thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- Linked to it, on this site: Eye care · Low vision · Glaucoma · An eye injury · Diabetes · When you want to quit smoking.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · My medicines list · When medicine costs too much · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on three National Eye Institute (NIH) pages: Cataracts (last updated August 19, 2026), Types of Cataract (August 6, 2025) and Cataract Surgery (December 5, 2024). Ours: going to an emergency room if you cannot reach your eye doctor about a warning sign after surgery, 911 if you cannot get there, and not driving yourself; getting seen the same day for a sudden change in vision; 988 for thoughts of suicide; not stopping a medicine, including a steroid or one that affects bleeding, unless a doctor tells you to; what to bring to a dilated exam; the questions to ask at a visit; health centers and medicine costs when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: research news (NEI reports studies toward a cataract drug; there is none to take today), any brand or kind of artificial lens, doses, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.