Cataract

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding, or opacity of the eye’s crystalline lens or the lens capsule. When the lens becomes cloudy, light rays are prevented from entering the eye and the vision appears blurry.

How can a cataract be detected?

Cataracts are best viewed thru a dilated pupil, although some central lens opacities are easily seen without pupilary dilation. Checking for cataracts is part of a comprehensive eye exam and is usually done after checking the vision level (visual acuity) and other preliminary tests.

Why do cataracts occur?

Because lens opacification is a natural process, most people will have some amount of cataract formation in their lifetime. A “small” cataract means that there is minimal clouding to the lens and the vision may only be minimally affected. A ripe, or mature cataract can make the vision too blurry to see well enough to drive, watch TV, or recognize faces. And although the amount of lens clouding directly affects a person’s vision, the location of the cataract within the lens has the greatest determination of just how blurry the vision will be.

When is cataract surgery needed?

When a person’s blurry vision begins to interfere with everyday activities such as driving, working, or reading, the examining eye doctor may recommend cataract surgery. A cataract may also need to be removed in order to monitor another condition of the inside of the eye, such as the retina in diabetes or the optic nerve in glaucoma patients.