CATATRACTS

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that is most often related to aging. Over half of all Americans will develop a cataract by they time they reach 80. Most cataracts are slow growing, so vision changes occur gradually. Some cataracts may form in a person’s 40s or 50s, but not affect vision until after age 60. Cataracts can occur in one or both eyes.
 
Because the lens of the eye acts to focus light onto the back of the retina where the image is formed, the presence of a cataract in the lens can lead to blurred vision. Some cataracts cause the clear lens to take on a brownish tint, which can lead to an inability to distinguish some colors.

Symptoms of cataracts:

• Clouded vision
• Faded colors
• Glare from bright lights or halo around lights
• Poor night vision
• Double vision in one eye