05/07/2026
cat·a·ract
/ˈkadəˌrak(t)/
a medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision.
💫After reviewing this patient’s medical history, I determined that this cataract is most likely congenital, meaning she was born with it. Despite it’s large size, her brain has compensated for it, and she enjoys 20/20 vision in that eye.
✨Inside our eyes, we have a natural lens. The lens bends (refracts) light rays that come into the eye to help us see.
✨At birth and up until advanced age, the lens should be clear.
✨What Causes Cataracts?
Aging is the most common cause
This is due to normal eye changes that begin to happen after age 40.
That is when normal proteins in the lens start to break down.
This is what causes the lens to get cloudy.
The explanation that I give my patients is that it goes from clear to cloudy like a headlight on an old car.
People over age 60 usually start to have some clouding of their lenses.
However, vision problems may not happen until years later.
✨Reasons you may get early onset cataracts include:
1. Having certain medical issues, such as diabetes.
2. Smoking.
3. Having had an eye injury, eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body.
4. Having spent a lot of time in the sun, especially without sunglasses that protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays.
5. Using certain medications such as corticosteroids, which may cause early formation of cataracts.
✨Most age-related cataracts develop gradually.
✨Other cataracts can develop more quickly, such as those in younger people or those in people with diabetes.
✨Doctors cannot predict how quickly a person’s cataract will develop.
♣️Cataract Symptoms
Here are some vision changes you may notice if you have a cataract:
✅Having blurry vision
✅Seeing double or a ghosted image out of the eye with cataract
✅Being extra sensitive to light (especially with oncoming headlights at night)
✅Having trouble seeing well at night, or needing more light when you read
✅Seeing bright colors as faded or yellow instead
✨Cataract Treatment: Surgery
