Prevention

There is no proven way to prevent cataracts. But certain lifestyle habits may help slow cataract development. These include:

• Not smoking.
• Wearing a hat or sunglasses when you are in the sun.
• Avoiding sunlamps and tanning booths.
• Eating healthy foods.
• Avoiding the use of steroid medicines when possible (some people need them).
• Keeping diabetes under control.

For more information, see the topics:

• Healthy Eating.
• Protecting Your Skin From the Sun.
• Quitting Smoking.
• Type 2 Diabetes.

Home Treatment

If you have cataracts, these tips and vision aids may help you manage your vision problems and avoid or delay surgery:

• Tips for improving vision include repositioning lights and keeping your eyeglass or contact lens prescription up to date.
• Low-vision accommodations in your home, such as using adequate lighting and adjusting carpets and furniture to avoid potential hazards, can make living with low vision easier and safer. For more information, see the topic Preventing Falls in Older Adults.
• Low-vision aids and adaptive technologies such as video enlargement systems or speech software for computer systems can help people who have impaired vision make the best use of their remaining vision.

Evidence shows that making certain lifestyle changes such as not smoking and protecting your eyes from sunlight may help slow the development of cataracts. For more information, see Prevention.

After cataract surgery

Your doctor will give you instructions about what to do after cataract surgery. Eye care for adults after cataract surgery includes using prescribed eyedrops, protecting your eye, and watching for signs of infection.

Contact your doctor promptly if you notice any signs of complications, such as:

• Decreasing vision.
• Increasing pain.
• Increasing redness.
• Swelling around the eye.
• Any discharge from the eye.
• Any new floaters, flashes of light, or changes in your field of vision.

It is normal to have blurred vision and some swelling after surgery. It takes time for the swelling to go down. Your eyeglass prescription may change after surgery.