How fast will my cataracts advance?

How fast will my cataracts advance?

This is a tough question to answer without knowing the type of cataract.

Very very generally, if you are diagnosed with a cataract under 60 years of age or you are diabetic, it will likely progress more quickly (often 1-3 years to treatment).  If you are over 60 and the cataract is not related to injury, medication or inflammation, the cataract will generally progress more slowly (often 3+ years to treatment).

Your eye care professional will be hesitant to put a timeline on your cataract development but could guesstimate after an assessment.

It is uncommon but some cataracts advance very quickly and will need to be dealt with in only a few months.  If you wake up with poor vision or your symptoms have arisen vision quickly, the problem is unlikely to be related to cataract and requires urgent investigation by your eye care provider.