Why cataract is formed

This can make it harder for you to see. If less light reaches the retina, it becomes even harder to see. Your vision may become dull and blurry. Cataracts cannot spread from one eye to another. Many people do, however, get cataracts in both eyes. Congenital cataracts. Some babies are born with cataracts.

Some children develop them in childhood, often in both eyes. Some congenital cataracts do not affect eyesight, but others do and need to be removed. Secondary cataracts. Secondary cataracts usually happen because of another disease in the body such as diabetes. Secondary cataracts have also been linked to steroid use. Traumatic cataracts. An injury to one or both eyes may cause you to develop a traumatic cataract. This can happen either right after the accident or several years later. Although experts don't know for sure what causes cataracts, they think there could be several possible causes including:.

For many of the possible causes, more research is needed to set apart the effect of the disease from the effect of the medicines. Age is the greatest risk factor for cataracts. Age-related cataracts may develop between 40 and 50 years old. Where you live. Recent studies have shown that people who live in high altitudes are more at risk of developing cataracts. Too much sun exposure. People who spend more time in the sun may develop cataracts sooner than others.

A cataract is a cloudy lens. The lens is positioned behind the colored part of your eye iris. The lens focuses light that passes into your eye, producing clear, sharp images on the retina — the light-sensitive membrane in the eye that functions like the film in a camera. As you age, the lenses in your eyes become less flexible, less transparent and thicker. Age-related and other medical conditions cause proteins and fibers within the lenses to break down and clump together, clouding the lenses.

As the cataract continues to develop, the clouding becomes denser. A cataract scatters and blocks the light as it passes through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching your retina. As a result, your vision becomes blurred.

Cataracts generally develop in both eyes, but not always at the same rate. The cataract in one eye may be more advanced than the other, causing a difference in vision between eyes. Cataracts affecting the center of the lens nuclear cataracts. A nuclear cataract may at first cause more nearsightedness or even a temporary improvement in your reading vision. But with time, the lens gradually turns more densely yellow and further clouds your vision.

As the cataract slowly progresses, the lens may even turn brown. Advanced yellowing or browning of the lens can lead to difficulty distinguishing between shades of color. Cataracts you're born with congenital cataracts. Some people are born with cataracts or develop them during childhood. These cataracts may be genetic, or associated with an intrauterine infection or trauma. If the condition is age-related, the symptoms naturally worsen over time.

The most common symptoms include blurry or double vision, muted colors, glare sensitivity and poor night vision. Cataract sufferers may also experience halo vision and frequent prescriptions changes. During the early stages of cataract formation, your doctor can suggest preventive steps to maintain the health of the eye.

Early-stage cataracts may be treated with eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions, surgery may be recommended if vision is severely impacted. Unless there are contraindications, these treatments are standard for all types of cataracts. Rather than physical changes associated with advanced age, early onset cataracts can have a variety of causes, including:.

If an eye doctor recommends surgery, the surgical cataract extraction of a cataract formed by trauma is less complicated than cases where aging factors are also present. If you have had a traumatic injury to your eye, contact your eye doctor immediately for treatment and to help prevent further damage. A study published in the journal, Eye, states that the risk of cataracts in diabetic patients is double that of individuals who do not have the disease.

Additionally, the risk is highest for those who are between the ages of 45 and The process involves removing the natural lens of the eyes then replacing it with an intraocular lens. Traumatic Cataract — Another common cause of cataracts is trauma: blunt or penetrating ocular trauma, electric shock, chemical burns or ionizing radiation.

A traumatic cataract can develop even years after these types of eye injuries. A person who suffers from diabetes will not have full control of their glucose levels which may result in high levels of sugar in the aqueous humor.

This can lead to swelling, simultaneously affecting vision. Likewise, the lens inside the eye has an enzyme that converts glucose into sorbitol. This sugar alcohol can affect both cells and protein and may eventually result in cataracts.