Cataracts are usually age-related and tend to develop later in life. There are a few exceptions to this rule, though – for example, people who have suffered an eye injury may develop cataracts earlier than usual.
Once cataracts are present, there’s no way to predict how long they’ll take to develop, when they’ll start to affect your vision, or at what point you’ll require surgery. However, it’s possible for your optician to make an educated guess based on an eye test, the type of cataracts you have, and monitoring the speed of their development over time. There is, however, no guarantee that the speed of development will be consistent.
Age-related cataracts tend to develop at a relatively slow pace, but there are always some exceptions.
If you think you may have cataracts, book an appointment with your optician as quickly as possible and they will be able to advise you on the best course of action from there.
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