11^th Global Ophthalmology Meeting

Cataract

A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to vision loss. Cataract usually develops slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include dull colours, blurred or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and night vision problems. This can lead to difficulty driving, reading, or facial expressions.  Cataract blindness can also lead to falls and depression. Cataract causes about half of all blindness cases and 33% of visible disabilities worldwide.

A Cataract is more common due to aging but may also be due to trauma or radiation exposure, birth defects, or eye surgery. Possible factors include diabetes, long-term use of corticosteroids, smoking, prolonged exposure to the sun and alcohol. A basic inexplicit mechanism involves the accumulation of protein molecules or a yellowish-coloured lens that reduces light transfer to the retina behind the eye.  Detected by an eye examination.