Cataracts explained – What you need to know

What is a cataract?

The lens in your eye is a small transparent disc that acts as a natural lens to focus light rays onto the retina. A cataract forms when blurry/cloudy patches (protein build up) appear in the lens and cause eye problems such as misty vision and eventual blindness.

What causes cataract?

There are many causes of cataracts including:

Age – age-related cataracts affect people aged 65 and over (but there are cases of people in their 40’s and 50’s developing cataracts)

Long-term exposure to the sun and its UV rays – especially so if the person doesn’t wear sunglasses to protect their eyes

Eye injury – if someone has had trauma to their eye, or had eye surgery in the past, then they are more likely to develop a cataract

• Health problems – Diabetes and obesity have been known contributors to early cataract development
• Medicines – certain medicine, such as steroids, increase the risk of cataracts
• What are the common signs of cataracts?

You may not notice that you have cataracts developing in your eyes as they often come on gradually over time. Here are some of the common signs of vision problems:

Your eyesight may appear cloudy or blurry – you may initially think this is a problem with your glasses being dirty or the wrong prescription but the issue won’t go away even when you rectify these problems.

You find light, especially sun light, too bright – you may find the glare from bright lights is too much and makes your eyes feel sensitive

You find it harder to see things in low light – on the opposite side of the spectrum to the above bright light issue, you will also find that certain lighting is too dim to be able to read or see things properly

Your vision will seem washed out – you may feel that everything you look at around you doesn’t look as bright and vibrant as it did before