Cataract

Cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Cataracts occur when proteins in the eye's lens clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. Over time, the clouding gets larger and blocks more of the light passing through the lens. This affects vision and can make it hard to see clearly. Cataracts can cause blurry vision, increased glare and light sensitivity, faded colors, double vision in one eye, and a decrease in night vision. In order to treat cataracts, surgery is required to remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial lens.