- Age. This is the biggest risk factor.
- Eye injury. Trauma to the eye (from a hard blow, cut, or puncture) can cause a cataract to form, sometimes years later.
- Heredity. Those whose relatives have had cataracts are more likely to develop them.
- Certain medications. Steroids, for example, have been linked to cataract formation.
- Lifestyle choices. High alcohol consumption and smoking are known to increase cataract risk.
- Some surgeries. Surgery for retinal detachment, for example, can increase risk.
- Certain health conditions. Diabetes and high cholesterol, for example, increase risk.
- Exposure to radiation and sunlight. Exposure to some kinds of radiation and ultraviolet rays increase risk.
What the world looks like to someone with cataracts
Imagine looking out a cloudy pane of glass. That's much like the lens of an eye with a cataract -- the picture a person sees is blurry. And the dirtier the glass (or more clouded the lens), the duller the picture.
Early on a person may not detect a difference in his vision, but if the cataract progresses, he may notice haziness. In addition to blurred vision, he may become sensitive to glare (though he'll also need brighter light to see) or experience poor night vision or double vision.
He may need frequent changes in his glasses or contact prescription, and he may see a halo around lights. Objects may appear to have a yellow or brown cast, and he may have trouble distinguishing colors like blues and purples. Eventually he may have trouble reading.
To see an image as it might appear to someone with a cataract, go to the National Eye Institute website.
