Everything You Need to Know About Cataracts — Cataract Awareness Month 2026

June is Cataract Awareness Month, and it's worth paying attention to one of the most common, and most overlooked, vision changes that comes with age. Cataracts affect millions of Canadians, yet many people either don't recognize the early signs or put off getting help far longer than they need to. This guide covers the questions we hear most often, from the basics to the things people don't always think to ask.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens — the clear structure that sits behind your iris and pupil. Your lens focuses incoming light onto the retina. When proteins in the lens begin to break down and clump together over time, they scatter light instead of focusing it cleanly. The result is vision that's blurry, hazy, or washed out — often described as looking through a foggy or frosted window.

How common are cataracts?

Very common. Globally, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, and in Canada, they're one of the most frequently performed surgical conditions. More than half of all adults will have developed a cataract or undergone cataract surgery by age 80. The prevalence rises steeply with age — affecting around 4% of people in their late 50s, and over 90% of those in their 80s.

What causes cataracts?

Aging is the most common cause — the natural breakdown of lens proteins begins around age 40, though most people don't notice symptoms for decades. Several factors increase the risk or speed up the process:

• Diabetes (especially with poorly controlled blood sugar)

• Smoking and heavy alcohol use

• Prolonged UV exposure without protective sunglasses

• Long-term use of corticosteroid medications

• A family history of early cataracts

• Previous eye injury or eye surgery

  
  

What are the symptoms?

Cataracts develop slowly, which is why many people adapt without realizing how much their vision has changed. Common signs include:

• Blurry, hazy, or foggy vision

• Glare and halos around lights, especially when driving at night

• Colors appearing faded, yellowed, or less vivid

• Needing more light to read comfortably

• Frequent prescription changes that don't seem to fully help

• Double vision in one eye

  
  

One symptom that surprises people: some notice a temporary improvement in near vision during the early stages of a cataract. This happens because the changing lens briefly shifts their focus — but it doesn't last.

Can younger people get cataracts?

Yes. While most cataracts are age-related, they can develop at any stage of life. Some babies are born with congenital cataracts. Young adults with Type 1 diabetes can develop a rare type called snowflake cataracts. And posterior subcapsular cataracts — which form at the back of the lens — are more common in younger people and tend to progress faster than typical age-related cataracts, sometimes worsening significantly over months rather than years.

If you're under 50 and noticing changes in your reading vision, increased glare sensitivity, or difficulty in bright light, cataracts are worth ruling out.

Do cataracts affect both eyes?

Cataracts typically develop in both eyes, though usually at different rates. They don't spread from one eye to the other — both lenses age independently. It's common for one eye to need surgery well before the other.

Is surgery the only treatment?

Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. No eye drop, supplement, or medication has been proven to reverse or dissolve one once it has formed.

That said, early-stage cataracts that aren't significantly affecting daily life don't necessarily require immediate surgery. In the early stages, vision can often be supported with an updated glasses prescription, brighter reading lights, and anti-glare lenses. The goal is monitoring — tracking whether and how quickly things are changing.

When is the right time to have surgery?

There's no single answer, but the general principle is: when cataracts are getting in the way of your daily life. That might mean struggling to drive safely at night, finding reading laborious, missing facial expressions, or feeling unsteady on stairs. You don't have to wait until your vision is severely impaired.

Modern cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful procedures performed — the success rate is above 95%, and most patients notice clearer vision within 24 to 48 hours. Waiting longer than necessary doesn't make surgery easier, and in some cases very advanced cataracts can complicate the procedure.

What happens during cataract surgery?

The surgeon removes the cloudy natural lens using ultrasound energy and replaces it with a clear artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). The procedure typically takes about 15 minutes, requires no general anesthesia, and involves no stitches. Most people go home the same day.

When both eyes need surgery, they're typically done separately — usually a few weeks apart — so the first eye can heal and the outcome confirmed before the second is treated.

What are the different lens options?

Lens choice is one of the most important parts of preparing for cataract surgery, and one of the least-discussed.

Monofocal lenses are the standard option covered by provincial health plans. They correct vision at one distance — usually far — meaning most people still need reading glasses afterward. Some surgeons offer a "blended vision" approach, setting one eye for distance and one for near, which works well for some patients.

Multifocal lenses aim to correct both near and distance vision simultaneously, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses. They come at an additional out-of-pocket cost and some people notice more halos or glare at night.

Extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses provide a continuous range — particularly good for distance and intermediate (computer-screen) distances — with generally fewer halos than traditional multifocals.

Toric lenses correct astigmatism along with the cataract, and can significantly reduce dependence on glasses in people who have both conditions.

There's no universally best lens. The right choice depends on your lifestyle, visual priorities, and how much you want to rely on glasses after surgery. This is a conversation worth having early — ideally before your pre-operative appointment.

Can cataracts come back after surgery?

The cataract itself cannot return — once the natural lens is removed, it's gone permanently. However, some patients notice cloudiness developing months or years after surgery. This is called posterior capsule opacification (PCO), sometimes referred to as a secondary cataract or after-cataract.

During cataract surgery, the thin membrane that held the original lens (the capsule) is left in place to support the IOL. Over time, residual lens cells on that capsule can proliferate and cause cloudiness — producing symptoms similar to the original cataract. PCO is fairly common, affecting a significant percentage of patients within a few years of surgery.

The treatment is a quick, painless laser procedure called YAG laser capsulotomy. It takes minutes, is done as an outpatient procedure, and typically restores clear vision immediately. If your vision was clear after cataract surgery but has since become cloudy again, that's the first thing to mention to your eye care provider.

Can cataracts be prevented?

Age-related cataracts can't be fully prevented, but certain habits may slow their progression:

• Wearing UV-blocking sunglasses outdoors

• Not smoking

• Managing diabetes carefully

• Eating a diet with plenty of antioxidant-rich foods (vitamins C and E appear in some studies to be associated with slower lens clouding, though evidence is still inconclusive)

  
  

Regular eye exams are the most important thing — they allow for early detection, monitoring, and timely referral when the time for surgery is right.

Cataract Co-Management at Lynn Valley Optometry

If you've been noticing changes in your vision, or if cataracts have already come up in a previous eye exam, you don't have to figure out the next steps on your own.

At Lynn Valley Optometry, we offer comprehensive cataract co-management — which means we're involved in your care from the first sign of a cataract all the way through your post-surgical recovery. We work closely with trusted ophthalmologists in the region, handling the referral process and coordinating your care so the transition to surgery (when the time comes) is smooth and well-planned.

Our role includes monitoring lens changes at your regular exams, helping you understand your lens options before surgery, and seeing you for post-operative follow-up appointments here in Lynn Valley — no need to travel back and forth to the surgical centre for every visit.

If you have questions about cataracts or want to know where you stand, we're happy to talk through it at your next exam.

Book an appointment | Call us at (604) 987-9191

Cataract Awareness Month is a reminder that vision loss from cataracts is largely preventable — but only when people recognize the signs and act on them. If you have a family member or friend who's been putting off an eye exam, this is a good time to share this post.