Symptoms
Cataracts can cause many visual symptoms. Most commonly, a decline in the sharpness of vision is noted. Some cataracts, such as Cortical or Posterior Subcapsular cataracts, can cause glare symptoms in bright light settings, such as outside on a sunny day. Nuclear sclerotic cataracts, in particular, can cause a decline in the crispness of colors, causing them to appear more muted than before.
Occasionally, cataracts can cause double vision to occur in the eye with the cataract, as the clouded portion of the lens may split the light into two images. Some older people, who have already entered presbyopia and have lost the ability to see clearly up close, may notice a return of their close vision as their cataracts grow. This condition, sometimes referred to as “second sight,” results from a change in the refractive power of the crystalline lens, caused by the cataract. Typically, though, the increased near vision comes at the price of decreased sharpness, glare and/or loss of crisp color sensation.
