Cataracts were named by the ancient Greeks. The white appearance of far advanced cataracts reminded them of the white waters or rapids and waterfalls which are also called cataracts. Today, however, only far advanced and neglected cataracts ever reach the stage of being white. Symptoms Cataracts cause blurring and dimming of vision. They disperse light and cause glare, especially when out in the sun and around lights at night.
Some people complain of a film over their eyes or glasses and try in vain to blink or rub it away.
As the natural lens becomes more cloudy it often swells causing a change in the optics which sometimes makes it possible to read without glasses. When cataracts are in the early stages of development, changing the power of the patient's glasses will often improve vision. Once they progress to the point where changing the glasses does not help, the only method of restoring the lost vision is by surgical removal of the cataract. But still, the odds are definitely in your favor. Once a cataract starts to form, the visual impairment is progressive.