Cataracts - Diagnosis

You may find out you have cataracts when you go for a routine eye check-up.

Two kinds of health professionals are specially trained in eye care.

Optometrists can give you an eye test, check for eye problems and prescribe glasses and contact lenses.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialise in eye problems and can do operations.

Many people find out they might have cataracts when they go to an optometrist for a routine eye test.[1]

As you get older, you should get eye tests regularly. In the UK, eye tests are free for people aged 60 or older.

If your optometrist finds an eye problem, he or she should send you either to your GP or directly to an ophthalmologist.

Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can see if you have cataracts by doing a thorough eye examination. Here is what you can expect.[2]

An eye test. Your doctor will ask you to read letters from different rows of a chart. This measures how well you see at certain distances. For more, see Eye tests.
An examination to look inside your eye. In this test, drops are put in your eye to make the centre wider. The centre is called the pupil. Doctors call this dilating your pupils. Your doctor will use a special magnifying lens to look inside your eye to see if you have a cataract and how bad it is.
A tonometry test. In this test, your doctor uses an instrument to measure the pressure inside your eye. You may get drops to numb your eye first. This test checks for other eye problems, such as glaucoma.

Doctors can't see cataracts without looking into your eye, unless you have very bad ones. In this case, the centre of your eye (your pupil) will be grey or white. By this stage, you won't be able to see light or dark.

Your doctor will ask you how much your cataracts bother you. He or she will also ask you about any other health problems and eye problems you have had. And you might have other tests to find out more about the health of your eyes.

References

NHS Executive. Action on cataracts: good practice guidance. January 2000. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk (accessed on 13 June 2007).
National Eye Institute Cataract: What you should know. Available at http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/webcataract.pdf (accessed on 13 June 2007).

Glossary

glaucoma: Glaucoma is a condition that affects the eyes. If you have glaucoma, your vision slowly gets worse. It happens when certain nerves in your head get damaged. These nerves carry images of what you see to your brain. Glaucoma is often caused by high pressure inside your eye.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.