As far back as the 5th century BC, healers performed rudimentary eye surgery to correct cataracts. By 1743, the English physician Samuel Sharp (1700–1778) was able to remove them by making an incision in the eye and then applying pressure with his thumb. More than a century later, cocaine-based eyedrops were developed as anesthesia. Thanks to modern science, this procedure has become much less painful—and much more successful.

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A cataract is a painless, cloudy area in an eye’s lens. Because it blocks the passage of light to the retina, a cataract can cause fuzzy vision, much like staring through a foggy car window. Cataracts can also lead to glare from lamps or sun, as well as double vision.

So, what exactly causes cataracts? Aging is a major factor. That’s because age causes the eyes’ lenses, which are made of water and protein fibers, to become less flexible and transparent. The protein fibers break down and clump together, causing the clouding. Other risk factors include prolonged exposure to sunlight, a family history of the condition, diabetes, and smoking. In the United States, cataracts affect 22 million people.

Cataracts can form in any part of the lens, including the center (in which case the cataract is described as nuclear); the outside of the lens, on the cortex (cortical); and at the back, or under the capsule of the lens (subcapsular). The only remedy for cataracts is a safe outpatient surgical procedure. A doctor makes a small incision in the eye and uses an ultrasound probe to break up the protein fibers. If the cataract is too big, the surgeon must make a larger incision and remove it. More than 90 percent of people who undergo this type of surgery experience an improvement in their vision.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. August is National Cataract Awareness Month.
  2. Because of a growing baby boom population, it’s estimated that 30 million Americans will have cataracts by the year 2020.