A glance at the woman's wrist and a call to MedicAlert 24-hour Emergency Response Center supplied them with her vital medical facts. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye. A normal lens is clear. It lets light pass to the back of the eye. A cataract blocks some of the light and as one develops, it becomes harder for a person to see.
Cataracts are a normal part of aging.
About half of Americans ages 65 to 74 have them. Many that do aren't even aware of it. Their cataract may be small, or the changes in their vision may not bother them very much. Other people who have cataracts cannot see well enough to do the things they need or want to do. Most people with cataracts have a cataract in both eyes.