Cataract Awareness

Behind the iris of our eyes sits a normally transparent crystalline lens. This clear lens, much like the lens of a camera, helps to focus images onto the retina at the back of our eyes, which then transmits the images to the brain to produce vision. However, over time, proteins and fibers in the lens begin to break down and clump together, leading to the opacity of the lens called cataracts.

Cataracts cloud the eye's lens, affecting vision as it increasingly makes it difficult for light to pass into the eye. The cloudy area may look milky, eventually turn brown, and as it progresses, vision becomes blurry, colours may appear less vibrant or faded, lights may appear too bright or glaring, and reading or driving, particularly at night, becomes increasingly difficult.

Signs and symptoms of cataracts may also emerge as a milky or yellowish spot in the pupil (the center of the eye is normally black), frequent changes in prescription glasses, and double vision in the affected eye. If left untreated, cataracts can eventually cause blindness.

Statistically, cataracts are responsible for 51% of all cases of blindness across the globe and are presently the leading cause of blindness worldwide. However, unlike many eye conditions, vision loss due to cataracts can be surgically corrected with a high success rate of over 95%. During the cataract surgery, the clouded natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

Although cataracts primarily affect older adults, they can occur at any age and some babies are born with this condition, which is known as congenital cataracts. Occasionally, cataracts may also develop due to eye injury or trauma, long-term eye diseases, prolonged intake of certain medications (steroids), or diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Genetic predispositions, and excessive exposure to UV light are also known risk factors for cataract development.

Effective steps to reduce one’s risk or delay the onset/progression of cataracts include adopting a healthy lifestyle, minimizing exposure to UV rays, eating healthy foods rich in vitamins C and E, wearing proper eye protection to prevent eye injury, and optimal chronic disease management. Overall, whilst cataracts are common and highly treatable, regular eye examinations and early detection are key to managing cataracts effectively.