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Patients with a cataract should undergo a complete eye exam to rule out other causes of visual loss, such as macular degeneration, a disorder that affects the central part of the retina of the eye causing decreased vision and possible loss of central vision, or glaucoma, a disease of the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. If the primary cause of vision loss is determined to be the cataract, treatment options are limited and include observation, wearing new glasses to improve vision or surgery. There are no eye drops or nutritional supplements that are known to remove cataracts. In addition to decreased visual acuity, patients sometimes choose to have cataract surgery because of problems with glare, loss of contrast sensitivity, changes in the focusing power of the eye or double vision.

Cataract surgery is routinely performed with the patient awake. Special medications are placed behind the eye with a nerve block or topical solution on the eye. These medications numb the eye so that the surgeon can make a small incision and carefully remove the cataract. While ultrasound vibrations generally are used to remove cataracts, there are some cases in which the cataract is removed manually. Once removed, a new lens made of special plastic material can be placed in the eye. The patient is usually home the same day.