Cataract: Basics


How does cataract occur?
Image Credit: By Imrankabirhossain - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59408737

Cataract means a lack of transparency in the eye lens.

Cataract can happen at any age and even in rare cases can affect a newborn baby too. But most cases are seen in the elderly. But every elderly person does not suffer from cataracts.

In cataracts, due to the low transparency of the eye lens, the eyesight decreases, and in advanced stages, it can even cause blindness.

The cause of cataracts is not clearly understood, but it is related to abnormal metabolic reactions in the eye lens. 

These abnormalities can occur due to many reasons. It is believed that factors such as diabetes, smoking, hypertension, injuries, radiation, genetics, vitamin deficiency, deficiency of antioxidants, some medicines, metabolic diseases, etc. contribute to the development of cataracts.

About the author: Dr. Naval Asija is a licensed MBBS Physician from India. MBBS is the equivalent of the MD degree offered by international medical schools. He is based in Delhi, India, and works as a medical writer, editor, and consultant. He supports medical researches as an author's editor, medical communication companies involved in medico-marketing activities, and medical technology companies in improving their products. He can be contacted via his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalasija/

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