Let The Light Pass

The development of cataracts, a well-known vision problem, remains poorly understood by most people.

- Shikha Mahajan

In simple words, cataract is a clouding on the lens within the eye that affects the vision. In an eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. When it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a direct image. If the lens is cloudy because of a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

There are basically three sorts of cataracts subcapsular, nuclear and cortical. Subcapsular cataract majorly happens at the back of the lens. People with diabetes or those taking high doses of steroid medications are at a higher risk of developing this type of cataract. On the other hand, cortical cataract occurs in the lens cortex, which is the part of the lens that surrounds the central nucleus. It is characterised by white, wedge-like opacities that start in the periphery of the lens and work their way to the centre in a spoke-like. The third sort, that is a nuclear cataract forms deep in the nucleus of the lens and is usually associated with aging.