What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the human eye, which obscures vision. Radiation, sunlight, diabetes and medications may promote cataracts, but age is the primary reason why the lens of the eye begins to opacify among adults over age 50.
Cataracts can vary in degree. A mild cataract generally will not require surgery for most people, but it may cause enough visual difficulty for a person who has fine visual requirements (such as a draftsman or watchmaker) to seek its early removal.
If only a central pinpoint area of the lens of the eye is cloudy, vision is likely to be poor during the day when the pupil is small, and better at night when the pupil opens.
Symptoms of Cataracts
A dimming or blurring of vision is the main symptom of cataracts. Many patients feel as though a film is covering their eye.
Sunlight or car headlights can also be very irritating.
Since cataracts develop first in one eye and then the other, depth perception may be affected.
In the beginning stages of a cataract, stronger glasses may be prescribed to improve vision. But eventually, as the lens becomes cloudier, surgery becomes necessary.
Despite reports you may read to the contrary, cataracts cannot be prevented. As the lens of the eye ages, it grows toward its center, causing it to thicken and lose its transparency. This process cannot be prevented until we learn how to halt or slow down the aging process itself. There is no medical method of reversing a cataract once it has become cloudy enough to require surgery.
