Overview
What is a Cataract?
The word cataract is used to describe the natural lens that has turned cloudy. Cataracts are not a disease, but rather a condition affecting the eye. As the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, it does not allow light to pass through it as well as it did when it was transparent. Cataracts usually start as a slight cloudiness that progressively grows more opaque. They are usually white, but may take on color such as yellow or brown. As the cataract becomes more mature (increasingly opaque and dense), the retina receives less and less light. The light that does reach the retina becomes increasingly blurred and distorted. This causes gradual impairment of vision. If left untreated, cataracts can cause needless blindness.

The development of cataracts is a normal part of the aging process, but they can result from a number of other reasons. Cataracts due to aging are a result of natural changes in the lens that coincide with other changes in the body. Traumatic cataracts may result from an injury or blow to the eye. Other causes of cataracts include the use of certain drugs or medications, exposure to harmful chemicals or excessive sun light, and some diseases. Some infants are born with congenital cataracts. In some cases, cataracts may even develop during childhood.

Modern advances in microsurgical techniques permit cataracts to be removed safely. An artificial lens can be implanted at the same time the cataract is removed to provide a convenient means of restoring vision.

A cataract occurs when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy.

Illustration courtesy of
Staar Surgical Company, Monrovia CA