It is estimated that approximately 20.5 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts and the majority of people by the time they are 75 develop cataracts. The word cataract comes from the Greeks and means “waterfall”.  Until the mid 1700s, it was thought that a cataract was formed by opaque material flowing like a waterfall into the eye.  Ophthalmologists now know that a cataract is the progressive clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. This clouding, usually a result of the aging process, interferes with light passing through to the retina in the back of the eye.  Cataracts get worse over time and patients report that they see as if they were looking through wax paper, or through a pair of dirty eye glasses.

“A cataract is the clouding of the eye's normally clear lens”, explains Dr.  Larson. “They block the passage of light needed to see clearly. Typically, cataracts form slowly over time and cause a painless, gradual decline in vision. When poor vision from cataracts begins to affect your lifestyle, they can be removed with surgery.”

Cataracts can develop for a variety of reasons. The most common is that as we age the lens of our eye hardens and begins to yellow. The development of a cataract can also be due to heredity, trauma to the eye, diabetes, the long term use of oral steroids, smoking and glaucoma.  Today, scientists think cataracts may be caused by accumulative exposure to ultraviolet light.

Symptoms Of Cataracts

• Decreasing vision with age
• Blurred or double vision
• Seeing halos around bright lights
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Difficulty distinguishing colors
• Frequent prescription changes for glasses
• Difficulty reading

Today, cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful procedures performed in the U.S. . . . restoring clear vision in 96% of cases. Currently, there are no medications, eye drops, exercises, or lasers that can treat cataracts. To achieve clear vision, the cataract must be removed surgically.