Much like the lens of a camera focuses light on the film, the lens of your eye focuses light on the retina. If the front of your camera’s lens becomes dirty of fogged, then the picture taken will be hazy or blurred. A cataract causes light focusing on the retina of your eye to be blurred in a similar manner.
A cataract is a clouding of the normal clear lens of the eye. This clouding blocks the passage of light through the eye. Cataracts are usually the result of aging although some very young patients can develop cataracts for unknown reasons. Injuries, certain diseases and some medications can also cause cataracts.
Some cataracts progress slowly over many years and cause a gradual loss of sight. Other cataracts develop more rapidly, resulting in significant visual impairment in just a few month’s time.
