Cataracts – What you should know
When a brand new car is driven off
a dealership lot, its plastic headlight
lenses are clear and pristine. Over
time, due to contaminants in the environment
and oxidation from ultraviolet
rays, those same lenses can become
cloudy, yellow and opaque. Cloudy
headlights can decrease visibility and
potentially put drivers at risk.
Similar scenarios sometimes unfold
involving the human eye. Starting
around age 40, proteins in the eye
may begin to break down and cause
lenses to become cloudy. UV rays can
be damaging to the eyes and contribute
to this natural protein degradation.
While pronounced vision problems
may not occur immediately, the
American Academy of Ophthalmology
says vision can be impaired later in
life. The organization All About Vision
states cataracts are the most common
cause of vision loss in people over age
40 and also are the principal cause of
blindness in the world.
Unprotected exposure to the sun
is just one contributor to cataracts.
Certain medical problems, such as
diabetes, also can cause cataracts. An
eye injury, eye surgery or radiation
treatments on the upper body also can
cause cataracts, as can corticosteroids,
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advises the AAO. Congenital cataracts,
which occur when infants are born
with cataracts, may be caused by infection,
injury or poor development in
the womb; otherwise, they can form
in childhood.
Cataracts form in various regions
depending on the cause, according to
AAV.
• Subcapsular cataract: A subcapsular
cataract occurs at the back of the
lens. People with diabetes or those
who take high doses of steroid
medications have a greater risk of
developing this type of cataract.
• Nuclear cataract: This cataract forms
in the central zone of the lens and is
often associated with aging.
• Cortical cataract: This cataract is
characterized by opacities that are
white and wedge-like, which form on
the periphery of the lens. Eventually
they work to the center in a spokelike
fashion. Cortical cataracts can
result from aging.
Symptoms of cataracts often can be
slow to form, so people may not even
notice they have cataracts until they
start to block light, while others may
learn of their presence during vision
exams. Cataracts may cause vision
that is filmy, blurry or foggy, indicates
WebMD. In older adults, nearsightedness
may be attributed to cataracts.
Glare, both during the day and at
night, also may affect vision due to
cataracts. Double vision or changes in
the way one sees color can be symptoms
of cataracts as well.
Eye professionals can diagnose
cataracts and make recommendations
on the course of treatment. Cataract
removal surgery is highly effective.
More than 95 percent of people who
have undergone the surgery experience
improvements. Such surgeries
are often performed on an outpatient
basis.