second sight

This is the phenomenon where cataract formation seems to make the vision “better” by improving your glasses prescription. A cataract is when the lens inside your eye becomes cloudy.  An enlarging cataract usually causes glare problems, but the cataract growth can also change the eye’s overall “glasses prescription” as well. For some people, this change is in a bad direction and they require stronger and stronger glasses to see well.  For a lucky few, the change is in a “good” direction and actually decreases the reliance on spectacles. The eyes aren’t really “improving,” it just seems that way. One of the signs that perhaps a cataract is getting worse is when the glasses prescription starts changing rapidly.