Cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss in adults age 55 and older. A cataract is a clouding of the
natural lens inside your eye. This lens is a clear, disc-shaped structure located behind the iris (the
colored portion of the eye). The human lens acts much like the lens in a camera, focusing the images on
the retina of the eye. The retina then transfers the visual image to the brain, which permits vision.
When a cataract develops, the lens becomes opaque or cloudy and vision may become impaired.
Cataracts are most often a result of aging although anyone can get them. When the lens becomes
cloudy and causes vision loss great enough to interfere with normal daily activities, surgical removal is
required to improve vision.
Common symptoms of a cataract include: