Sunlight 'may cause cataracts' Cataracts can be removed by surgery Exposure to sunlight may increase the risk of developing cataracts, scientists have found.
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness world-wide.
Researchers studied 2,584 residents of the French town of Sete. They found people who were exposed to high levels of sunlight, or solar radiation, were up to four times more likely to develop cataracts. The greater the dose of solar radiation, the higher the chance of developing a cataract. A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally transparent lens of the eye. As the opacity thickens, it prevents light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina, the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye.