A cataract is an eye disease, common in middle-aged and older people, in which the lens behind the pupil loses its transparency over time and vision becomes blurred.
Our natural lens sits just behind the pupil. It focuses light onto the retina and changes shape so that we can see both near and far. With age, this lens gradually loses its transparency and becomes cloudy. At first a cataract does not affect your vision completely, because it does not cover the whole lens. The first signs of a cataract are dimmer colours and poorer quality of vision.
How does an eye with a cataract see?
With a cataract, the eye starts to see as if through foggy glass. As the cataract progresses, vision gets much worse and daily life becomes harder. A cataract can be diagnosed with a simple eye examination. Before the operation is planned, the transparency of the cornea, the structure of the cataract, the position of the lens, the width of the pupil and the condition of the retina are examined in detail.
