Who's Likely To Get Cataracts

By: Adrian Fletcher

Cataracts are one of the major causes of loss of vision. Most people think of cataracts as an old persons disease but this is not strictly true. This article will cover what causes the condition and who is most likely to get cataracts.

The characteristic of a cataract in the eye is when the lens becomes cloudy. Normally, cataracts will develop in both eyes however they may develop at different paces which means that one eye will have better vision than the other. In most cases, if cataracts are identified early in their development the eyes can be treated successfully.

The lens of an eye in good condition consists of a crystallin protein that lets light pass through and be focused on the retina at the back of the eyeball. In turn the information that reaches the retina is passed via the optic nerve to the brain. The brain then interprets the information and gives it meaning or a name. When a lens has a cataract, the crystallin protein has lost it's rigidity and starts to move. This often changes the shape of the lens and leads to vision problems. After a while the drifting protein tends to form together. Where this occurs the lens becomes opaque and is often described as cloudy. This means that light cannot pass through the lens and vision is affected.

If this process goes undetected, more of the protein will come together making more of the lens cloudy. Eventually the lens will become completely cloudy and no light can pass through it. This will cause blindness in the person.

Cataracts develop because of a unique character of the lens. It has no direct blood supply. Blood nourishes cells in the body giving them mineral, vitamins and in this case antioxidants. Instead the lens relies on the aqueous humor that is located behind the lens for this nourishment.

Cataracts will develop in the lens because of damage caused by free radicals. And because the lens has no blood supply it cannot replenish the cells in the lenses as effectively as other parts of the body. Free radicals react with the cells of the body causing them to decay or breakdown. The body's reaction to free radicals is thought to lead to diseases like cancer occurring. In the case of the lens, the result is a cataract.

Free radicals are normally associated with the foods we eat. If we eat poor quality food more free radicals are produced. However they can also enter the body when it is over exposed to sunlight. With age more free radicals build up and cause more damage to the body. This explains why cataracts are often associated with older age. However their are other things that can increase the chances of cataracts developing in a person.

Over exposure to sunlight, or specifically the ultraviolet light in sunlight will increase the number of free radicals. This will result in damage to the lenses of the eyes. Good eye protection is essential in areas that get plenty of sunlight.

Poor nutrition and/or poor digestion of the foods that are eaten. Poor quality foods can introduce all kinds of free radicals. Being unable to metabolize the foods also keeps free radicals in the system.

Smoking is another activity that can increase the risk of getting cataracts.

Diseases such as diabetes are bad for the eyes because they impact the circulatory and nervous systems. This often leads to problems with the eyes because they do not get an adequate supply of blood. Cataracts are a common complication of diabetes.

It is true that age and genes can influence the chances of getting cataracts but by limiting your exposure to some of the factors listed above you can minimize your risk of developing cataracts.