Cataracts
What is a cataract?
When people think of cataracts they often imagine white film that grows on their eyes. However, a cataract does not form on the eye but within the eye. A cataract is a clouding of the lens, the part of the eye that focuses light and produces clear, sharp images. When this lens becomes cloudy due to age or other factors, poor vision may result. The most common symptoms of a cataract include: cloudy or blurry vision; faded colors; a halo or glare around headlights or lamps; poor night vision; and/or double vision or multiple images in one eye. Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses may also be a sign of cataracts.
For most people, cataracts will be a natural result of aging. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss among adults over the age of 55. Age-related cataracts develop in two ways. The first is a clumping of protein that clouds the lens and reduces the light that reaches your retina. The cloudiness tends to grow slowly, gradually getting worse, making it more difficult to see. The second way cataracts develop involves the lens slowly changing to a yellowish/brownish color giving your vision a brownish tint. While this gradual change in the amount of tinting does not affect the sharpness of the image, it will make it more difficult to identify colors.
What causes cataracts?
While the risk of having cataracts increases as you get older, eye injuries, certain medications, and diseases such as diabetes have also been known to cause cataracts. Other risk factors include excessive smoking or alcohol use, and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. Those who work outdoors should protect their eyes from ultraviolet rays by wearing sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection. Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block ultraviolet sunlight may help to delay cataracts. Researchers believe good nutrition can also help reduce the risk of age-related cataracts and recommend eating green leafy vegetables, fruit, and other foods rich in antioxidants.
