Conditions That Cause Cataracts

If your vision has turned hazy for no apparent reason, cataracts might be to blame. Cataracts are a problem usually associated with the elderly, but certain conditions can cause them at any age. If you have any of the contributing factors listed below, talk with your doctor about ways to minimize your risk of developing cataracts.

Cataracts are formed when proteins in the eye’s crystalline lens, located behind the iris and pupil, clump together. This can happen as a result of age or a breakdown of the proteins themselves. While the exact cause of the irregular protein clusters is still unknown, doctors and scientists have pinpointed a few common characteristics of patients with cataracts.

Direct exposure to ultraviolet rays has been associated with cataracts. Experts recommend wearing dark, protective glasses or otherwise shielding your eyes from the sun. Pilots and astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation, which has been linked to the formation of nuclear cataracts. Furthermore, studies have suggested that lead exposure puts people at a greater risk for cataracts.

Drugs, diet, and disease can also affect one’s chances of getting cataracts. Certain medications like steroids, diuretics, and tranquilizers are being studied to see what link, if any, they have to cataract development. Diabetes has long been thought to increase one’s chances of developing cortical and subcapsular cataracts. And doctors have even theorized that a diet too high in salt can speed someone down the path of cataract formation.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are other possible culprits. Pollution also does its part; being in smoky or smoggy environments can accelerate the breakdown of the proteins in the eye’s lenses. This leads to the abnormal clusters of proteins that cloud the lenses and produce cataracts.