What Do Cataracts Look Like?

Cataracts are a common eye condition. Cataracts develop when the clear lens inside the eye turns cloudy. Cataracts often form as people get older. 

Cataracts affect your vision, making it hard to see, drive, and complete everyday activities. But these vision changes can be mild at first. 

You may be wondering how you can tell if you have a cataract. Here’s what cataracts “look like” and how you can tell if you should get medical care for a possible cataract.

What are the different types of cataract?

The first thing to know about cataracts is that they’re not all the same. There are several different types of cataracts, which include:

• Age-related nuclear cataract: This is the most common type of cataract. People develop these cataracts as they get older. Age-related nuclear cataracts develop in the center part of the lens. 

• Posterior subcapsular cataract: These cataracts develop in the back part of the lens. They can change rapidly and may need more immediate intervention. You’re more likely to develop this type of cataract if you have a history of diabetes or take steroid medications.

• Cortical cataract: These cataracts develop at the edge of the lens. They are more likely to cause glare, making it hard to drive at night or see in low light. 

• Traumatic cataract: These cataracts develop anytime after an eye injury. 

• Radiation cataract: These cataracts develop after radiation treatment. People who receive head or neck radiation are more likely to develop radiation cataracts.

• Congenital (pediatric) cataract: Congenital cataracts are present from birth or develop quickly afterwards. Babies can develop cataracts because of genetics, infections, or medical conditions. Infants can develop amblyopia if congenital cataracts aren’t treated quickly. 

The type of cataract you have can determine how quickly you need cataract surgery. Some cataracts grow very slowly while others can progress more quickly. 

You want to treat your cataract when it’s causing vision changes that interfere with your daily life. You may not need to remove a small or early cataract that isn’t affecting your vision. 

But you don’t want to wait too long either. Very mature cataracts can be more difficult to remove. So it’s important to get regular eye exams and work with your eye doctor to determine when is the best time to have your cataracts removed.

What do cataracts look like?

Most people cannot see their own cataracts. You won’t see a cataract when you look at yourself in the mirror unless you have a very mature cataract. Very mature cataracts can make the pupil (black part of the eye) look cloudy or hazy. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• What causes cataracts? Our experts review why people develop cataracts and what steps you can take to lower your risk of developing cataracts. 

• Safety after cataract surgery: Here are activities to avoid after cataract surgery to help you heal.

• When is it time to get cataract surgery? Our guide to cataract surgery can help you decide.

But very mature cataracts also cause significant vision changes. So people with very mature cataracts will have trouble seeing and may not be able to see their own cataracts due to these vision changes. The cataracts may be visible to other people. 

Since cataracts aren’t readily visible, most people don’t know they have cataracts until they get an eye exam. An eye doctor can see a cataract using special instruments during a dilated eye exam. These instruments help an eye doctor tell what kind of cataract a person has and whether it’s mature or not. This information helps eye doctors determine if cataracts are causing a person’s vision problems. 

Here are some examples of what cataracts look like during dilated eye exams:

Gray, off-white colored lens typical of a cataract is seen in an undilated pupil during an eye exam.

Cortical cataracts, seen as white specks, are over a dilated pupil.

What does it feel like to have a cataract?

Cataracts aren’t painful and shouldn’t cause any eye discomfort, irritation, or redness.

Cataracts affect your vision and can cause symptoms like:

• Trouble seeing at night or in low light

• Glare

• Halos around light

• Blurry or cloudy vision

• Faded colors

• Double vision as cataracts get bigger

Many people with cataracts struggle to drive at night due to glare from oncoming headlights. They also find themselves turning on more lights in order to see better. 

People also need more support from their corrective lenses. Prescription lenses, like corrective glasses or contact lenses, may not seem to work as well as they once did. If you wear corrective lenses occasionally, you may find yourself wearing them more often if you have a cataract. People often get care to have their prescriptions adjusted and discover they have cataracts.

What can be mistaken for cataracts?

There are several other eye conditions that can cause vision changes, including:

• Macular degeneration

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Glaucoma

• Corneal conditions

It can be hard to know if your vision changes are from cataracts or another eye condition. Get care if you’re having new or worsening vision changes. Your eye doctor will be able to diagnose additional eye conditions during a dilated eye exam. 

When are cataracts usually diagnosed?

Most people are diagnosed with cataracts later in life. People with certain medical conditions or eye conditions may be diagnosed with a cataract earlier in life.

You’re more likely to get diagnosed with a cataract if you are older than 60 years. And the chances go up as you get older. Nearly half of people over 80 years old have a cataract or had one removed in the past. 

Getting a yearly eye exam is the best way to take care of your eye health as you get older. Routine eye exams can spot eye conditions, like cataracts, so you can get the right treatment and keep your vision clear.

How are cataracts treated?

Cataracts can be removed with surgery. During cataract surgery, an ophthalmologist removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear, artificial lens. Cataract surgery can help restore vision. But you only need surgery once the cataract has started to affect your vision. 

Cataracts that aren’t affecting vision can be monitored with regular eye exams. Your eye doctor can also offer you prescription lenses to help with any mild vision changes. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Nishika Reddy, MD

Nishika Reddy, MD, is an attending physician at the University of Utah. She provides comprehensive and cornea medical care at the Moran Eye Center and serves as clinical assistant professor.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts

Images used with permission from VisualDx (www.visualdx.com).