A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which is located behind the iris and pupil. It can impact sight by causing images to look hazy or faded.
Their most common causes are aging, injury or medical conditions, such as diabetes. Cataracts usually form slowly and may not interfere with vision initially but can worsen over time.
Cataract surgery is the effective treatment for cataract, restoring clear vision while replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial one.
What Are Cataracts
Cataracts develop when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. This natural lens is essential to focusing light and having clear vision. When this lens becomes cloudy, it blocks the flow of light, resulting in a marked loss of visual acuity.
This cloudiness can be mild or advance to more severe opacities, greatly interfering with activities of daily living, like reading, driving or distinguishing faces. Cataracts are often associated with aging, but they are not a normal part of getting older. In fact, they are the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment globally, accounting for 51% of blindness and 33% of visual impairments.
Symptoms can begin gradually and worsen over time. You might notice blurry or cloudy vision, greater sensitivity to glare, and difficulty seeing in dim light. If cataracts are not treated, they can completely block vision. Nuclear cataracts develop in the center of the lens, cortical cataracts affect the outer edge, and congenital cataracts form during pregnancy.
How Cataracts Are Diagnosed
- A comprehensive dilated eye exam is the best way to diagnose cataracts. It starts with assessing your symptoms and health history. Your doctor will likely ask if you’ve had symptoms like cloudy or blurry vision, difficulty seeing at night, or seeing halos around lights. These symptoms, while seemingly innocuous at first, may be the first signs of cataracts forming. With these specialized tools, your doctor will look for clouding in the lens of your eye.
- A dilated pupil helps assess the severity of cataracts and other vision issues. Your doctor will use special eye drops to dilate your pupil, allowing for a clearer view of the lens and retina. This helps them evaluate the clouding and its effect on your vision.
- Regular eye exams are crucial, especially for adults over 60. Early detection during these checkups can prevent complications and ensure timely care for your child.
- Visual acuity tests assess how cataracts impact vision by having individuals read letters on a chart to evaluate sharpness and clarity. Difficulty in seeing details may suggest the need for additional examination. Cataracts usually develop slowly, beginning around age 40 when lens proteins start to break down. This highlights the need for regular eye care at all stages of life.
Treatment Options for Cataracts
Cataracts are the most impactful disease on earth, affecting nearly 17% of the global population. As they progress, cataracts often begin to impair vision. At first, you may be able to compensate for cataracts’ initial symptoms.
Keep in mind that surgery is the only long-term solution to cataracts. Here, the clouded lens is surgically removed from your eye. Then, it replaces it with a clear lens—specifically an artificial lens known as an intraocular lens (IOL).
Patients are now able to select specialized intraocular lenses (IOLs) that help them attain superior vision after surgery. These options are designed for near, far and intermediate distances.
Because when done under the right circumstances, modern cataract surgery is both safe and highly effective. Dr. Wang wants people to know that this is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S.
It is associated with a very small risk of serious complications. The procedure itself is incredibly quick, usually under 15–20 minutes, and altogether pain-free. The majority of patients go home on the same day, with only minimal overnight irritation.
Prevention of Cataracts
- Since cataracts progress at a slow rate and early on may not present with obvious symptoms, prevention is the key goal. Wearing sunglasses or other UV protective eyewear is a simple way to get started. UV-blocking sunglasses are the best defense against cataracts and other eye problems.
- They protect from both UVA and UVB rays, dramatically cutting down on the chances of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays—from the sun, for example—can increase damage to the lens of your eye, causing it to become cloudy as you age. For example, incorporating polarized sunglasses into daily commutes or outdoor recreation is an easy but effective prevention habit to start building now.
- A diverse, nutrient-rich diet is fundamental to overall health—including eye health. Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, like spinach, carrots, and oranges, are loaded with vitamin A, C, and E. These vitamins are extremely important to maintaining clear, healthy vision.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin are found abundantly in leafy greens. Omega-3 fatty acids, which you can get in seafood like sardines or flaxseeds, are another way to reduce your cataract risk. Conversely, smoking nearly triples the chances of developing cataracts. Reducing or stopping smoking completely is one of the best things people can do to maintain lifelong ocular health.
- As for alcohol, moderation is just as important as moderation in all things. Heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with increased oxidative stress in the eyes, speeding up the formation of cataracts. Moderation with alcohol protects more than just your eyesight—it protects your whole body.
- Routine eye examinations are a third key preventive step. Even if you aren’t experiencing vision changes, be sure to get annual exams starting at age forty. This practice prevents any developing problems from going unnoticed. This forward-thinking approach is in line with the saying about how prevention is always better than cure.
Risk Factors for Cataracts
Cataracts develop when the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy. By knowing the risk factors, you can help control or even prevent the development of this prevalent condition. These factors generally fall into three categories:
- environmental
- medical
- genetic
- Habitual
Among these, aging is clearly the most important risk factor. Over the years, wear and tear to the lens continues to build up and cause damage. This causes protein to rapidly break down, which clumps together and clouds your vision. As you get older, this is a process that happens naturally. It increases in prevalence starting after your 40s and 50s, although symptoms may not appear until years later.
Medical conditions such as diabetes are a major factor as well. High blood glucose changes the molecular structure of the lens, accelerating its clouding. The long-term use of some medications, particularly steroids, raises the risk of cataracts.
Lifestyle choices such as smoking introduce harmful oxidants into the body, while excessive sun exposure without UV protection can damage the lens over time. Genetic predisposition isn’t the least complicated factor, with some people inheriting a disposition for cataracts to develop earlier.
Impact of Untreated Cataracts
In addition, cataracts, when untreated, can cause long-lasting and damaging disruptions to vision. They are slow-growing, usually starting around a person’s 40s or 50s, but their development can differ greatly. For some cataracts, it can take decades to develop enough to create visible vision impairment. Conversely, some result in significant vision loss within a few months or years.
The World Health Organization recognizes cataracts as the number one cause of preventable blindness in the world. In the United States, untreated cataracts are the leading cause of preventable vision loss. The eye’s lens becomes increasingly opaque, like looking through a foggy window. Our vision becomes fuzzy, making basic tasks like reading or identifying a friend become an increasingly frustrating challenge.
A second frequent difficulty from cataracts left untreated is worsening glare and difficulty seeing at night. This is most noticeable when doing things such as driving in the dark, where oncoming bright headlights or streetlights can start to form halos, clouding vision. These challenges can start a downward spiral that threatens one’s independence and quality of life.
In addition to vision loss, cataracts increase the likelihood of accidents, particularly falls. Loss of depth perception due to impaired vision can affect balance, increasing the difficulty of going down stairs or navigating uneven terrain. This risk increases with age, making it even more difficult for older adults.
The CDC highlights one amazing statistic — over half of Americans 80 and older either have cataracts or have had cataract-removal surgery. This highlights how ubiquitous this condition is among older Americans. Without proper treatment, these conditions are a danger and can cause serious health risks.
Access to timely treatment including cataract surgery, prevents the worst outcomes of severe visual impairment. Modern surgical techniques are safer than ever, and these techniques dramatically improve vision. Nine out of ten patients see improvement after surgery. If cataracts are treated early, people can continue living independently with a greater quality of life.
Conclusion
Cataracts can have a serious impact on your vision and quality of life, but being informed is the first step to making a difference. If you catch them early, you’re better able to manage them, which is why getting your eyes checked regularly is so important. Treatments such as surgery have proven to be both effective and safe, restoring many millions to clearer vision. Prevention is the other half. Wear sunglasses that block UV rays, eat a diet rich in nutrients, and don’t smoke to help reduce your risk. Little lifestyle modifications are worth their weight in gold in visually preserving your golden years.
Your eyes are one of your most prized possessions. From protecting your eyesight to staying on top of your cataracts, making an appointment today will put you a step ahead. Contact an eye care provider right away if you have any worries. After all, clear vision isn’t only nice to have in today’s world—it’s life-changing. Keep your eye health at the top of your list.
If you or a loved one have concerns about cataracts, schedule an appointment with an eye specialist today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cataracts?
Cataracts occur when the eye’s natural lens clouds, resulting in blurry or foggy vision. They form slowly and are quite prevalent disease, particularly in the older population.
How are cataracts diagnosed?
Cataracts are diagnosed during a dilated, complete eye exam. An eye doctor can conduct a series of tests to diagnose cataracts. These exams—involving visual acuity testing, slit-lamp examination, and retinal examination—help identify the presence and progression of the condition.
What are the treatment options for cataracts?
Cataracts are currently fixed with surgery, during which the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. This outpatient surgery is safe, effective and routine, most often restoring clear vision immediately.
Can cataracts be prevented?
Though cataracts aren’t entirely preventable, you can lower your risk by wearing sunglasses, eating a nutritious diet, and not smoking. Regular eye examinations are essential in preventing blindness through early detection.
What are the risk factors for cataracts?
Other risk factors are diabetes, high UV exposure, smoking, and long-term steroid use.
What happens if cataracts are left untreated?
Untreated cataracts can progress to increasingly impaired vision, and even blindness. More subtly, they can interfere with even the most basic day-to-day activities, driving down quality of life.
How can I maintain good eye health?
Maintain eye health by eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, avoiding smoking, protecting your eyes from UV rays, and scheduling regular eye exams. Early care can avoid most vision issues.
