{"id":410,"date":"2018-09-23T04:09:03","date_gmt":"2018-09-23T04:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.palmettoeyeandlaser.com\/?p=410"},"modified":"2018-09-23T04:09:03","modified_gmt":"2018-09-23T04:09:03","slug":"what-is-a-cataract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.palmettoeyeandlaser.com\/blog\/what-is-a-cataract\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Cataract?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"A cataract is the clouding of the eye\u2019s natural lens. As this normally clear lens gets cloudy, it decreases your ability to see well. A cataract can make objects appear blurry. It can also make colors seem less bright.<\/p>\n

Your eye\u2019s natural lens is located directly behind the pupil and is made up of mostly water and protein. As you get older, the protein parts of the lens can begin to clump together. These clumps start small but grow larger over time. The bigger they get, the more they can compromise your vision.<\/p>\n

Cataracts<\/a> are a common condition, especially for older people. Cataracts typically begin developing in people age 40 years and older but don\u2019t usually begin to impair vision until after age 60. However, younger people can develop cataracts, too. These juvenile cataracts (in children) can be caused by a genetic mutation that affects proteins, by metabolic disorders or by trauma (eye injury).<\/p>\n

The symptoms of cataracts are similar to those for myopia (near-sightedness). These symptoms may begin as minor annoyances and progress over time to impair vision. You may feel symptoms in both eyes or only one eye. They include:<\/p>\n