Cataracts are the clouding of an area of the lens of the eye. The lens is made up of water and protein. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The protein in the lens is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.
Aging sometimes results in some of the protein clumping together and clouding a small area of the lens. This is a cataract.
Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. Or, it may be that the protein in the lens just changes from the wear and tear it takes over the years.
According to one other website (Medem), other possible causes of cataracts include:
- Injury to the eye
- Certain medications, especially steroids
- Long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlight
- Previous eye surgery
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