A cataract is cloudiness of the lens in the eye, causing blurred vision. Typically, cataracts affect both eyes, but usually one eye is more severely affected. In most cases, cataracts are a result of normal aging; most people over about 65 have some cataract formation.
However, they may also sometimes be present from birth or may be due to factors such as eye injury, certain eye diseases such as uveitis (inflammation of various internal eye structures), prolonged exposure to sunlight, long-term corticosteroid treatment, or diabetes. Cataracts are also common in people with Down syndrome.
Smoking increases the risk of developing cataracts. Typically, cataracts develop over months or years.
They cause only visual symptoms, such as blurred vision, altered color vision, and seeing haloes around bright lights.
Treatment is with surgery to remove the natural lens and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial one. This usually improves vision significantly, although some people still need to wear glasses or contact lenses afterward

Othere related diseases

ECTROPION AND ENTROPION
Ectropion is a turning outward of the lower eyelid. The eyelid’s exposed inner surface becomes dry and sore, and the eye may water continuously. Because the e...

EUSTACHIAN TUBE DYSFUNCTION
The Eustachian tube, running from the middle ear to the back of the nose, acts as a drainage tube and also regulates pressure in the middle ear. In Eustachian t...

FOCUSING PROBLEMS
Farsightedness Nearsightedness Astigmatism Focusing an image sharply on the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) depends mainly on the len...

GLAUCOMA
Normally, fluid is continually secreted into the front of the eye by a structure called the ciliary body to nourish the tissues and maintain the shape of the ey...

LABYRINTHITIS
Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth of the inner ear, which contains the organs of hearing and balance. It is usually caused by a bacterial or viral ...

MACULAR DEGENERATION
Macular degeneration (also known as age-related macular degeneration, or AMD) is a deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina responsible for s...

MENIERES DISEASE
Ménière’s disease is an inner ear disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and hearing loss. It is due to a bu...

OTITIS EXTERNA
In otitis externa, the outer ear canal becomes inflamed, usually due to a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. It is sometimes called “swimmer’s ear,” b...