Cataracts

In a normal eye, light focuses precisely on the retina.

What are Cataracts?

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. When the lens becomes cloudy, light rays cannot pass through it easily, and vision is blurred. Cataracts can lead to partial vision loss and blurring, which can prevent you from being able to carry out day-to-day activities. Left untreated, complete loss of vision can also result.

Signs to Look For

Symptoms include:

• Dulled or yellowed vision
• Painless blurring or dimming of vision
• Distortion or ghost images in either eye
• Sensitivity to light and glare, especially in bright sunlight or while driving at night
• Reduced depth perception

Risk Factors

In an eye with a cataract, light scatters throughout the eye instead of focusing precisely on the retina.

The common type of cataract is related to aging of the eye. Causes of cataract include: 

• Family history
• Medical problems, such as diabetes
• Injury to the eye
• Medications, especially steroids
• Long-term unprotected exposure to sunlight
• Previous eye surgery
• Unknown factors

Preventative Measures

There are things you can do to help slow vision loss due to cataracts:

• Wear a hat and sunglasses that screen out UV rays.
• Wear safety glasses whenever the situation calls for it.
• Keep diabetes in control.
• Tell your ophthalmologist if you take steroids, tranquilizers, or psoriasis medications on an ongoing basis.
• Get an eye exam from your ophthalmologist to detect cataracts and determine their extent.

Treatment Options

Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. However, if cataract symptoms are not very bothersome, then a different eyeglass prescription can help improve your vision for a while.

If your cataract symptoms become very bothersome, cataract surgery should be considered. It is highly successful -- improved vision is the result in the majority of cases. In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye through a small surgical incision, and the lens is usually replaced with a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) implant.