Cataract

A cataract is the progressive clouding of the lens, the eye's natural lens located behind the iris and pupil. This lens, normally transparent, focuses light onto the retina, ensuring clear vision. With age, or due to certain factors, the proteins that make up the lens clump together, causing it to become cloudy.

This clouding leads to a gradual decrease in vision, with symptoms such as blurred or hazy vision, increased sensitivity to light (glare), difficulty seeing at night, altered color perception, and sometimes double vision. Cataracts can affect one or both eyes, and their progression is usually slow.

While cataracts are mainly related to aging, other factors can contribute to their development, such as diabetes, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, smoking, certain medications (like corticosteroids), and eye injuries. Cataract treatment involves surgery to replace the clouded lens with an artificial intraocular implant.

Please be aware that Bellevue clinics possess all the latest technologies available to diagnose and monitor cataract cases.