(August 1, 2010)  By the age of 80, more than half of all Americans have cataracts. Yet, cataracts can be successfully treated in 95 out of every 100 cases. August has been declared Cataract Awareness Month in order to increase awareness of this leading cause of preventable blindness in older adults.

The lens is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally crystal clear. It helps focus images onto the retina, which send images to the brain through the optic nerve. A cataract may blur or dim vision in the affected eye because it stops light from properly passing through lens and onto the retina. Images often dim and lose sharp focus.

In the United States, more than 20 million adults age 40 and over have cataracts. Even though most people with cataracts are older adults, the problem can occur in young people and even newborn babies.

In addition to age, these risk factors for cataracts have been identified:

• Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun.
• Certain disease such as diabetes
• Inflammation in the eye
• Long-term steroid use
• Pre-birth events such as German measles in the mother during pregnancy.
• Eye injuries or diseases
• Heredity
• Smoking

A cataract is typically painless and does not cause redness or tears. Symptoms of a developing cataract include:

• Blurred vision, double vision, ghost images or feeling like a film is covering the eyes.
• Difficulty reading or performing close-up work because the lights seem too dim. Yet, strong lights may be “dazzling.”
• Inability to see clearly even after frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions.
• Actually seeing the cataract as a milky or yellowish spot in the pupil.
• Change in the way you see color.
• Problems driving at night because of the glare from oncoming headlights.

There is no proven way to prevent cataracts. However, certain lifestyle habits may help slow cataract development.

• Don’t smoke; or stop smoking if you are a smoker.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Wear a hat and sunglasses during sun exposure. (A hat with a brim cuts sun exposure to the eyes by as much as 50%.) UV-B rays have been associated with an increased risk for cataracts.
• Avoid sunlamps and tanning booths
• Keep high blood pressure and diabetes under control.
• Eat a diet rich in vitamin C and E. Eat at least three servings of fresh fruits or green leafy vegetables and take a multivitamin every day.

Current studies are analyzing the relationship between low-dose aspirin therapy or vitamins C or E and a reduction in cataract risk. However, there is not enough conclusive data to recommend such approaches at this time – and high doses of vitamins or aspirin carry their own side effects and risks.

Since the symptoms for cataracts can also be signs of other eye problems, it's important to check with your eye doctor if you experience problems or changes in vision. Adults age 65 and over should get a dilated eye exam every year or two, even if they are not experiencing any vision problems. For an early cataract, different eyeglasses, magnifying lenses, or strong lighting may help cope with the lens clouding. However, surgery is the only effective treatment. The decision on whether to have surgery and when to do so is a personal one based on how troublesome the vision loss is. Surgery is almost always done on an outpatient basis and involves removing the clouded lens and replacing it with an artificial lens or implant. Thanks to advances in technique, visual outcomes from the surgery are excellent.