June is Cataract Awareness Month and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the US and is the biggest cause of blindness in the world.
Cataract consists of a clouding in the eye’s lens that blocks or changes the light that enters into the eye. The lens produces clear images onto the retina, which is responsible for transmitting images to the brain.
According to the National Eye Institute the most common symptoms of cataracts are:
- Cloudy or blurry vision
- Colors look faded
- You can’t see well at night
- Lamps, sunlight, or headlights seem too bright
- There’s a halo around lights
- Prescription glasses need to be frequently changed.
The good news is that cataracts can be easily detected and vision loss from cataracts can be restored with treatment. So see your eye doctor regularly.
For more information on cataracts visit the National Eye Institute.