A cataract is the term used when there is a loss of transparency or increasing cloudiness in the lens of the eye. The change alters the way light is taken into the eyes and distorts the image they transmit to the visual center in the brain. Cataracts are the most common cause of progressively blurry vision.
Cataracts become more common as people age.
In fact, everyone over 30 years of age has begun to develop cataracts. In people who develop visual problems or obvious eye cloudiness, the process has taken place at a much faster rate than normal. Cataract development may be the result of exposure to ultraviolet light, radiation, or toxins in the environment. Certain diseases, such as diabetes, alter the chemistry of the eyes and make people more prone to cataracts. Surgery, in which the lens of the eye is replaced with an artificial lens implant, is the only cure for a cataract.