While cataracts can strike younger people, the problem usually develop in older adults. Cataracts are characterized by clouding of the eye’s lens, which normally is clear and serves to focus images onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens is mostly made up of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise manner that keeps the lens clear and let light pass through it.

However, as we age, some of the protein may break down and clump together and start to turn cloudy in parts of the lens, resulting in a cataract. Over time, the clumps may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see by blocking some of the light which would normally pass through the lens.  Read more...