Medical history for cataracts

The diagnosis of a cataract is usually based on symptoms, health history, and a physical examination. If you have symptoms of cataracts-such as cloudy or fuzzy vision, problems with glare, double vision, or frequent changes in the prescription for your eyeglasses or contact lenses-the doctor will often want to know:

• What vision problems you have been experiencing and how long you have had the problems.
• What effect the symptoms have on your daily activities.
• Whether you have a medical condition, such as diabetes or glaucoma.
• Whether you have had an injury to your eye.

If a child is suspected of having a cataract, the doctor will also want to know whether:

• The child's eyes have been checked before.
• The mother had any infections (such as chickenpox) during the pregnancy.
• The child does not look directly at or respond to faces or large, colorful objects. An infant at 2 months without a cataract would usually do this.
• The child scowls, squints, or shields his or her eyes when in bright sunlight.
• The child's eyes do not move together in the same direction or focus on the same point. This is called strabismus.
• One of the child's eyes has repetitive wandering movements (nystagmus).