Cataracts - Rocky Mountain Eye Center
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Cataracts

Human Eye Anatomy diagram

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that can affect the quality of the vision. Most cataracts are due to aging but some develop due to trauma, certain medications or diseases. Almost all people will start to develop cataracts in their early 60’s. As the cataract gets cloudy, the visual quality deteriorates. When the decreased vision interferes with daily vision needs, then cataract surgery is required to restore the eyesight.

What is the Lens?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

Cataract Symptoms

What Causes Cataracts?

The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil (see diagram). It works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded. The lens also adjusts the eye’s focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see. Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. Or, it may be that the protein in the lens just changes from the wear and tear it takes over the years.

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