Cataracts are a condition that affects the lens of the eye, causing vision to become blurry and distorted. They often occur with age, exposure to UV radiation, eye trauma, use of corticosteroid medications, or as a result of previous eye surgeries. Most cataracts develop slowly and without pain, and typically affect one or both eyes. The only effective treatment for cataracts is cataract surgery, which is generally considered safe and effective.
Some symptoms of having cataracts include a gradual decline in visual quality without pain, difficulty seeing bright objects like TVs and mobile phones, difficulty reading and experiencing double vision, difficulty distinguishing between people and focusing on their features, cloudy and muted colors, and a change in the color of the lens of the eye to white or cloudy brown.