Cataracts cause a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. When they are severe enough to cause vision symptoms, a person can feel like they are trying to see through a fogged up window. Advancing age is the biggest risk factor for developing cataracts – but there are several reasons why everyone should take the time to learn about the condition.

First, if you live long enough, you’ll end up developing cataracts. But even if you are on the sunny side of middle-age, you could already have or be developing cataracts -- some are caused by certain medical conditions, medications and trauma. So it makes sense to get the facts on symptoms, treatments and how lifestyle changes can prevent or delay vision clouding cataracts.

How and why cataracts form

"There are numerous causes of cataracts. Anything that damages the lens proteins and cells can cause the lens to opacify (become opaque). Most cataracts are related to aging," ophthalmologist Emily B. Graubart, MD, who provides patient care at the Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, tells Synergy. "As the proteins that comprise the lens change and clump together, the cells that make up the lens also increase in number, causing the lens to thicken and harden. These changes lead to clouding of the lens and a cataract."

Is it fact or fiction that cataracts start developing in some people as young as 40? "That’s a fact," answers Dr. Graubart, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Emory University’s School of Medicine. "There is a genetic component to the rate at which cataracts form and certain families tend to have cataracts develop earlier in life. Also, if an individual has a history of diabetes or trauma, they may develop cataracts at a young age."

Risk factors for cataracts:

• Increasing age
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Prolonged use of certain medications (especially corticosteroids, also known as steroids, which are sometimes used to treat a number of medical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease).
• Drinking alcohol to excess
• Over exposure to sunlight (without wearing protective sunglasses)
• Exposure to ionizing radiation, including medical X-rays and radiation therapy for cancer
• Family history of cataracts
• High blood pressure
• Previous eye trauma or inflammation
• Previous eye surgery
• Smoking

Taking care of your eyesight

While you can’t do anything about growing older, there are some steps you can take in your younger years to potentially slow down the formation of cataracts. For example, don’t spend a lot time outdoors exposed to bright sunlight without protecting your eyes. "Exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun, both UVA/UVB, increases the rate of formation of cataracts, due to oxidative damage. Wearing glasses that block these rays is recommended to slow the formation of cataracts," Dr. Graubart points out. An added bonus: protecting your eyes from excess sunlight also decreases the risk of macular degeneration, a condition separate from cataracts which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field.

"Also, some studies suggest that taking a multi-vitamin daily may be beneficial in slowing the growth of cataracts. However, if a person is lucky enough to live a long life, he or she will eventually develop cataracts," Dr. Graubart adds.

You don’t need any special tests to see if you are developing cataracts. A yearly eye exam by an ophthalmologist is a good idea to check your eye health in general and will reveal any beginnings or progression of a cataract.

Symptoms and treatment

When doctors talk about "age-related" cataracts, remember the term doesn’t only apply to senior citizens. In fact, it’s not unusual for people to have an age-related cataract in their 40s and 50s. However, most cataracts at middle-age are too small to affect vision. Usually, it is after 60 that cataracts begin to noticeably steal vision.

"Cataracts can cause symptoms that include blurry vision, glare with bright lights, decreased contrast and color sensitivity," notes Dr. Graubart.

If you have cataracts, your sight may worsen gradually over time as the cloudy area in the lens becomes larger. Your vision may develop a brownish tint that can make reading more difficult and can also alter your ability to distinguish certain colors – like dark purple from black.

Fortunately, excellent treatments for cataracts are now available. "Cataract surgery has undergone several major advances in the past few decades. It is now performed with an ultrasound machine, and can be done in about 10 minutes," Dr. Graubart tells Synergy. "And there are new lasers that are being used by some surgeons to assist them with certain portions of the procedure. However, ultrasound energy is still used to remove the lens. New treatments are being focused on restoring a patient's near and distance vision with special artificial lenses, as well as treating a patient's astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery, too."