Eye Cataracts: Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatments

According to the National Eye Institute, more than half of Americans over the age of 80 currently have cataracts or have had surgery to remove them.¹ If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cataracts, you may be curious about what cataracts are and the available treatment options.

What Is a Cataract?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that works to focus light onto the retina, allowing us to see. Cataracts form when proteins in the eye's lens break down. This can cause vision to appear blurry, distorted or less colorful. Cataracts can appear in one or both eyes.²

Cataract Symptoms

Cataracts cause vision changes or distortions. Symptoms of cataracts may include:²

• Cloudy or blurred vision
• Double vision
• Light sensitivity
• Colors appearing faded or yellowed

How Are Cataracts Diagnosed?

An appointment with an ophthalmologist can help diagnose if you have cataracts. The ophthalmologist will conduct a comprehensive eye exam, including a slit-lamp exam, retinal exam, refraction and visual acuity test to check your eyes.²

What Causes Cataracts?

There are five main reasons that cataracts can develop.³

• Age: Natural age-related vision changes can cause cataracts to form. Smoking, excessive drinking, diabetes, family history and previous eye surgeries can make a person more likely to develop age-related cataracts.
• Eye trauma: Injuries to the eye's lens can cause cataracts.
• Radiation: Some forms of radiation, including cancer treatments and ultraviolet rays from the sun, can cause cataracts.
• Congenital condition: Although rare, some babies can be born with cataracts or develop them as young children due to genetics, tumors or certain illnesses such as uveitis.
• Cataract surgery: Secondary cataracts or after-cataracts can form when post-surgical scar tissue in the eye causes cloudy vision.

Types of Cataracts

There are three main types of cataracts based on where the cataract is formed: nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular.⁴

• Nuclear cataracts: The most common form, this type of cataract begins at the nucleus of the lens and extends outward.
• Cortical cataracts: More common for those with diabetes, this cataract starts in a shell layer of the lens called the cortex and extends inward.
• Posterior subcapsular cataracts: Forming beneath the lens, this kind of cataract causes a small cloudy area that mainly impacts reading and night vision.

Cataract Treatment Options

Not all cataracts require treatment or removal.³

Non-surgical cataract treatments include eyewear and lifestyle changes to improve cataract symptoms, such as mild cloudy and blurry vision. These changes can include wearing anti-glare sunglasses, magnifying lenses or new prescription eyeglasses. Tints and coatings added to eyeglasses may also help reduce mild cataract symptoms. Using brighter lights at home and at work may also help manage cataract symptoms.¹

However, if cataracts do begin to interfere with your daily life, cataract surgery is currently the only available treatment option to remove them.²

What Happens During Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery usually takes about one hour.⁵ During the procedure, an ophthalmologist replaces the eye's lens that has cataracts with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL).⁶

First, the eye will be numbed with eye drops or an injection around the eye. The surgeon will use a device to keep the eye open while small incisions are made in the cornea to access the cloudy lens.⁶

Most commonly, the surgeon will use a technique called phacoemulsification, during which the lens is gently broken into pieces with a laser or high-frequency sound waves. Then, the lens pieces are carefully suctioned out.⁵

If phacoemulsification isn't the best option for the patient, the surgeon may perform an extracapsular cataract surgery where a larger incision is made in the cornea and the lens is removed as one piece.⁵

Once the lens is removed, the IOL will be put in place and the cornea flap returned. No stitches are needed as the incisions will heal on their own.⁶

Cataract Surgery Recovery

After the procedure, the eye may feel itchy, watery and be sensitive to light for a day or two. Vision may still be blurry the first few days after surgery, but should improve over the first few weeks.⁵

Protective eyeglasses may be required for a few days to shield the eye from inadvertent rubbing or bumps while it heals. Eye drops may also be prescribed for a few weeks after surgery to keep the lens hydrated and prevent infection.⁶

Most patients will be able to return to their normal daily activities the day after surgery, and by eight weeks the eye should be completely healed. While the artificial lens used in cataract surgery is permanent and doesn't usually need replacing, you might need an updated prescription for glasses or contact lenses after cataract surgery.⁵

How Much Does Cataract Surgery Cost?

The average cost of cataract surgery without insurance is between $3,500 and $7,000 per eye.⁷

The overall cost of cataract surgery can be impacted by the type of replacement lens, the type of procedure used during surgery, any pre- or post-operative care, surgeon fees and geographic location.⁷

Is Cataract Surgery Covered by Insurance?

Since cataract surgery is usually considered medically necessary, many insurance providers — including Medicare and Medicaid — will cover some or all of the costs of the procedure.⁷

Financing Cataract Surgery

If your insurance doesn't cover the full cost of cataract surgery, you can consider using funds from a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account. Some vision care providers may offer in-house payment plans.⁷

CareCredit Financing for Cataract Surgery

Whether you're needing eye surgery or getting an eye exam, the CareCredit credit card can help you pay for care where your insurance leaves off.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a vision specialist near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go, and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts, and videos.

Author Bio

Kate Bayless is a health and wellness freelance writer with 15 years of experience. Her work has appeared in Parents, Women's Health, Beachbody and OpenFit.