The lens is normally clear and allows light to pass through to the back of the eye. However, if parts of the lens become cloudy (opaque), light is unable to pass through these cloudy patches. Over time, these can become bigger, and more of them develop. As less light is able to pass through the lens, the person’s vision is likely to become blurred or cloudy. The cloudier the lens becomes, the more the person’s sight will be affected.
Cataract
Cataracts are cloudy patches in the lens (the transparent structure at the front of the eye) that can make vision blurred or misty. They can develop in one or both eyes, and one eye can often be more affected than the other.
Cataracts are cloudy patches in the lens (the transparent structure at the front of the eye) that can make vision blurred or misty. They can develop in one or both eyes, and one eye can often be more affected than the other.
Cataracts are the main cause of impaired vision in the world, particularly in developing countries. They affect men and women equally. Cataracts most commonly affect older people and are known as age-related cataracts. In the UK, it is estimated that more than half of people who are over 65 years of age have some cataract development in one or both eyes. In rare cases, babies can be born with cataracts (congenital cataracts), or children can develop them at a young age.
If cataracts are mild, a change in spectacle prescription and brighter reading lights may be all that is required to enable people to live with the condition. Once cataracts start interfering with daily activities such as driving or watching the TV, surgery is usually recommended. It is estimated that around 10 million cataract operations are performed world wide each year. Cataract operations are generally very successful with few complications. If you have cataracts, it may affect your ability to drive. It is your legal obligation to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about a medical condition that could have an impact on your driving ability. The Directgov website has advice about how to tell the DVLA about a medical condition.
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- be blurred
- be cloudy or misty
- have small spots or dots on it (patches where your sight is not as clear)
- if the light is dim
- when the light is bright, such as on a very sunny day, or in bright artificial light
- the glare from bright lights may be dazzling or uncomfortable to look at
- colours may look faded or less clear
- everything may have a yellowish tinge
- reading, watching television and other daily activities may be more difficult than they used to be
- you may have double vision (seeing two images of an object instead of one)
- you may see a halo (a circle of light) around bright lights, such as car headlights or street lights
- if you wear glasses, you may find that they have become less effective
- a history of cataracts in your family
- smoking
- lifestyle factors, such as poor diet
- overexposing your eyes to sunlight
- taking steroid medicines (medicines that contain powerful chemicals called hormones) for a long time
- diabetes (a long-term condition caused by too much glucose in the blood)
- injuries to the eye
- other eye conditions, such as uveitis (inflammation of the uveal tract in the eye)
- avoiding sports and any vigorous activities
- not rubbing your eye
- not getting soapy water in your eye, for example, while taking a shower
- wearing a pad over your eye to protect it
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