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Cataracts
The lens is not solid. It is a capsule filled with water and protein fibre. The protein fibres are normally crystal clear but can ‘wear out’ with age. They can become opaque, similar to how an egg white clouds when it gets cooked. Other factors, such as UV radiation, can alter the protein prematurely.
Cataract development is very variable amongst individuals. The process is generally slow and initially may affect only part of the lens. In one person it develops from the lens’s rim and grows inside, in another person’s eye the lens begins to cloud from the center Curiously, when the center is lightly clouded, the person may temporarily improve the ability to see close objects. In any case, the growing cataract will eventually severely impair vision and frequently lead to blindness.
In the early stages, a cataract is merely a nuisance. But soon extra lighting, different eyeglasses and protection from glare is needed. UV radiation protection and less alcohol and nicotine should help to slow the process. Some swear on the effectiveness of alternative supplements and diets.
Once the cataract interferes too much with the daily life, surgery should be considered. Eye surgeons replace millions of cloudy lenses with substitutes every year, and this safe procedure returns better vision to as much as 90% of patients.
When your fingerprints are all over the lens of your camera, the pictures you take won’t be as sharp as expected. You won’t let this happen to your eyes, I guess. Nevertheless, the lens of your eye can become hazy for other reasons. One of them is the fine weather.
Ageing is the main reason for the clouding of the eye lens, but excessive UV radiation of a clear blue sky is another major contributor. The World Health Organization estimates that cataracts account for almost 15 million blind people worldwide. About 20%, or 3 million, of these are most likely caused by UV radiation.
