# Cataract; A Quarter to Darkness

Source page: https://www.kudretgozistanbul.com/en/blog/cataract-treatments/cataract-a-quarter-to-darkness

**Author:** Kudret Eye İstanbul | **Medical Approval:** Op. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özdil | **Date:** 2026-09-07

> **Summary:** Cataract is the dulling of the eye's natural lens, one of the most common causes of declining vision, and it becomes more common after the age of 55-60. Kudret Eye İstanbul Chief Physician Op. Dr. Nail Sönmez explains its symptoms, its only treatment (surgery) and the risks of delaying it.

## Quick Facts
- **Global burden (WHO):** At least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment, around 94 million of them because of cataract
- **Becomes more common:** After the age of 55-60
- **Operation duration:** Approximately 15-20 minutes per eye
- **Anaesthesia:** Eye drops; the patient is not put to sleep
- **Hospital stay:** Return home the same day

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## What Is Cataract?
Cataract is the deterioration of visual clarity caused by dulling of the natural lens. It develops mostly with age and usually progresses slowly. It may affect both eyes at once or start in one eye and then develop in the other.

## Who Gets It?
- Mostly people over 55-60, with incidence rising with age:
  - Around 15 - 20% of people aged 60
  - 30 - 40% of people aged 65 - 74
  - 50% of people over 75
- Diabetics and long-term cortisone users
- People with a family history of cataract
- People with long sun exposure, such as agricultural workers
- Newborn babies
- People with eye impacts, previous operations or intraocular inflammation

## Symptoms
- Difficulty reading and blurred vision, like looking through foggy glass
- Nearsightedness
- Sensitivity to light
- Double vision
- Yellowing and dulling of colours
- Decreased contrast

## Treatment
- Cataract cannot be treated with medication or glasses; surgery is the only treatment.
- The eyes are anaesthetised with drops and the patient is not put to sleep.
- The dulled natural lens is replaced with an intraocular lens suited to the eye.
- The operation takes approximately 15-20 minutes per eye; patients return home the same day.
- Lenses that show near and far together can treat myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia at the same time; multifocal lenses also give clear middle-distance vision.
- The lens is selected according to the eye's structure, the patient's lifestyle and needs.

## Risks of Delaying Treatment
- Untreated cataract can progress to complete loss of vision.
- In advanced cases surgery becomes more difficult and the complication risk rises.
- If treatment is delayed too long, eye pressure may develop and the eye may turn (squint).
- Where cataract is not progressing and poses no risk, treatment is not urgent; the decision depends on the patient's complaints and needs (for example, an active driver may be more troubled than someone who spends the day at home).