Cataracts
What Are Cataracts?
Inside our eyes, we have a natural lens. The lens bends light rays that come into the eye to help us see. The lens should be clear. If you have a cataract, your lens has become cloudy. Things look blurry, hazy or less colorful with a cataract. The images below show the difference between a healthy lens and a cataract lens.
What Causes Cataracts?
Aging is the most common cause of cataracts. This is due to normal eye changes that begin to happen after age 40. That is when normal proteins in the lens start to break down. This is what causes the lens to get cloudy. People over age 60 usually start to have some clouding of their lenses. However, vision problems may not happen until years later.
Other reasons you may get cataracts include:
- Having parents, brothers, sisters, or other family members who have cataracts
- Having certain medical problems, such as diabetes
- Smoking
- Having had an eye injury, eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body
- Having spent a lot of time in the sun, especially without sunglasses that protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays
- Using certain medications such as corticosteroids, which may cause early formation of cataracts.
Most age-related cataracts develop gradually. Other cataracts can develop more quickly, such as those in younger people or those in people with diabetes.
Symptoms of Cataracts
Following are some vision changes you may notice if you have a cataract:
- Blurred or cloudy vision
- Colors appear faded or dull
- Headlights or streetlights have glare or halos
- Poor night vision
- Sunlight or fluorescent lights may appear to be too bright
- Double or multiple vision in one eye
- Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses
- Difficulty reading
For more information about cataracts click on one of the links below.