In advanced stages, little or no light passes through the lens and the eye is essentially blind. The optical effects produced by smaller, more dense opacities are quite different. You might notice a specific area in your visual field is blocked or distorted. Vision might be quite clear at some distances and blurry at others. Although cataracts are the leading cause of acquired blindness in the world, it also a condition very easy to remedy.
Cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful surgical procedures in modern medicine.
The old, damaged lens is removed and is replaced by a plastic replacement part, called an intra-ocular lens implant. Causes of cataracts Cataracts can occur as a common consequence of aging, may be due to hereditary factors, trauma, inflammation, metabolic or nutritional disorders or radiation, including UV from the sun. Additionally, it appears there is an association between cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption and the formation of cataracts. Certain drugs, notably oral corticosteroids taken for long periods of time tend to induce the formation of lens opacities. Age-related As we age, the tissue which comprises the crystalline lens oxidizes and becomes gradually less transparent.