Cataract

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens. It causes gradual, painless loss of vision, mostly with age. It is the single largest cause of reversible blindness in India, and the fix — cataract surgery — is one of the safest and most successful operations in all of medicine.

Symptoms

• Gradually blurred or hazy vision — "like looking through frosted glass."
• Difficulty reading or recognising faces.
• Glare — headlights, sunlight, phone screens seem harsh.
• Colours look faded or yellowish.
• Frequent changes in spectacle power.
• In advanced cases, the pupil may look white or milky.

Causes and risk factors

• Ageing — the commonest cause; most people over 60 have some cataract.
• Diabetes — cataracts appear earlier and progress faster.
• Eye injury or previous eye surgery.
• Long-term steroid use (tablets, eye drops, inhalers).
• UV (sunlight) exposure over many years.
• Smoking.
• Congenital cataract in children — important to catch early.

Treatment

• No drops, tablets, or home remedies can dissolve a cataract. The only effective treatment is surgery.
• Surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear artificial lens (IOL). It is a day-care procedure, usually 15-30 minutes under local anaesthesia.
• Phacoemulsification with foldable IOL — standard modern technique.
• After surgery: eye drops for a few weeks, avoid rubbing/splashing water, return for check-ups.

India-specific practical notes

Cataract surgery is available free or heavily subsidised in government hospitals and many large charitable eye hospitals across India. The National Programme for Control of Blindness has driven millions of free surgeries. Don't wait till vision is gone — modern surgery is safer when done earlier. If you notice gradual blurring at 55-60 years, get an eye check.

Children with cataract

Congenital cataract (present at birth or developing in early childhood) is an emergency — left untreated, the brain doesn't learn to see from that eye (amblyopia). If a baby's pupil looks white, or the child doesn't follow faces at 3-4 months, see a paediatric ophthalmologist immediately.