Cataracts Overview

Cataracts are typically an age-related loss of vision caused by a problem in the eye’s lens. The lens becomes clouded and tends to scatter light rather than focus it on the retina. The result is blurry vision that progressively worsens as the cloudiness intensifies.

The name cataract comes from this feature of cloudiness. The Greek word for running water or a waterfall is cataractos, and when water gushes in a waterfall it looks white and opaque rather than clear. Many medical terms come from the Greek language.

Find out about the different Types of Cataracts.

What Causes Cataracts?

The lens consists mainly of water and proteins. Cloudiness is caused by age-related changes in the structure of the protein fibers. Their precise arrangement is disturbed and they begin to clump together, creating an opacity, a block to incoming light. At first these opacities are small and scattered but over time they enlarge and merge with each other. Eventually they can fill the lens and cause blindness.

Please see Causes of Cataracts and Cataract Diagnosis for more information.

Cataract Symptoms

There is no pain or redness. At first the vision loss is too slight to notice. At some point blurriness becomes a problem, as does glare in low-light conditions. This can interfere with night driving. There may be reduced color vision, changes in one’s glasses prescription, and increasing fogginess of vision in all lighting conditions. To read more, please see Cataract Symptoms.

When the vision loss becomes too great a problem in daily activities, your eye doctor will recommend cataract surgery – also called Lens Replacement Surgery.

Cataract treatment

There is no way to remove cataracts from the eye’s lens. Therefore the lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one known as an intraocular lens (IOL). There are several types of IOL and your eye surgeon will discuss the choices with you. Cataract surgery is typically a highly successful procedure and restores full vision.

Since cataracts cannot form in an artificial lens, you will not develop cataracts again. In some cases however, some cloudiness develops in the capsular bag, the membrane that encloses the IOL, and which previously enclosed the natural lens. This is called a secondary cataract or an opacified posterior capsule. It is treated with a short laser procedure that typically improves your vision immediately.

For more information, see Cataract Surgery.

To find an ophthalmologist in your area, please contact us today.