Cataract Awareness
About 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts. More than half of all Americans develop cataracts by age 80.
Cataracts cloud the eye’s clear lens, similar to a window that is “fogged” with steam. When the lens becomes cloudy, light rays cannot pass through it easily and vision becomes blurry. Cataracts are not a growth or a film over the eye.
Cataracts start out mildly and have little effect on vision at first. But as the cataract becomes denser, so does the impact on vision. See your Eye M.D. if you experience:
• Painless blurring of vision
• Sensitivity to light and glare
• Double vision in one eye
• Poor night vision
• Fading or yellowing of colors
• Frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescriptions
Although cataracts usually develop as part of the aging process, they can also result from:
• Eye injuries
• Certain diseases, such as diabetes
• Genetic inheritance
• Certain medications
• Frequent, unprotected exposure to UV-A and UV-B rays
• Smoking
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