A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye which leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night.

Cataracts are most commonly due to aging, but may also occur due to trauma or radiation exposure, be present from birth, or occur following eye surgery for other problems. mechanism involves accumulation of clumps of protein or yellow-brown pigment in the lens that reduces transmission of light to the retina at the back of the eye. Cataracts may be partial or complete, stationary or progressive, or hard or soft. The main types of age-related cataracts are nuclear sclerosis, cortical, and posterior subcapsular. Nuclear sclerosis is the most common type of cataract, and involves the central or 'nuclear' part of the lens. This eventually becomes hard, or 'sclerotic', due to condensation on the lens nucleus and the deposition of brown pigment within the lens. In its advanced stages it is called a brunescent cataract. Cortical cataracts are due to the lens cortex (outer layer) becoming opaque. Posterior subcapsular cataracts are cloudy at the back of the lens adjacent to the capsule (or bag) in which the lens sits.

Risk factors include diabetes, smoking tobacco, prolonged exposure to sunlight, and alcohol. Diagnosis is by an eye examination. Prevention includes wearing sunglasses and avoiding smoking. Early on the symptoms may be improved with glasses. If this does not help, surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens is the only effective treatment.

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Journal of Aging and Geriatric Medicine

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