What are cataracts and can we prevent them?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye which leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms can include faded colours, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights and trouble seeing at night. It is the most common cause of vision loss in people aged over 40 and is also the principal cause of blindness in the world. Most of us have a parent, friend or work colleague that has had to have a cataract operation. Indeed, for the UK National Health Service it is their most common operation with 400,000 undertaken each year.

There are thought to be many reasons why cataracts develop with age but a known contributing factor is damage caused by ultra violet radiation and many older people suffering from the condition will usually admit they were not regular sunglass users when young. It’s widely accepted by the medical profession that wearing sunglasses, especially from a young age, will limit the progression of this ailment that can ultimately lead to blindness.