June is Cataract Awareness Month and
Carolina Ophthalmology Associates wants to join efforts to educate the public on
the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options of the world’s leading cause
of blindness.
A
Cataract is the clouding of the eye's lens. The exact cause of cataracts is
still uncertain but cataracts seem to form as we age. Besides age related cataracts, there are
several different kinds:
- Secondary cataract - forms as a result of other medical conditions like glaucoma, diabetes, exposure to toxic substances, etc
- Congenital cataract -
present at birth due to birth defects, diseases, or other problems
- Traumatic cataract - forms
after eye injury
- Radiation cataract - forms after major exposure to radiation
According to Prevent Blindness America (PBA),
there are more cases in the world of cataract than there are of glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration combined. Nationally,
cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans aged 40 and older.
Besides age, other risk
factors for developing cataracts may include a family history of cataract,
diabetes, smoking, alcohol, serious eye injury, the extended use of steroids and
exposure to ultraviolet
rays.
“We encourage everyone 40 years of
age and over, to get a dilated, baseline eye exam,” recommends James A Bryan,MD.
