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Age-Related Cataracts

Around 200,000 cataract operations are performed in the UK each year. It is an operation that improves your sight so that you can go about your daily life.

Here, we draw attention to symptoms that suggest you might have the beginnings of a cataract. We also

  • briefly explain the stages leading up to an operation and what happens afterwards and suggest some questions you may want to ask the ophthalmologist (eye specialist) if you are thinking of having a cataract operation; and
  • suggest where you can find out more about cataracts and their treatment.  

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of part of your eye called the lens and can develop in one or both eyes.

The lens is normally clear and helps focus light on the retina at the back of your eye to form a sharp image. This image is sent along the optic nerve to your brain where it is translated into a picture. Over time the clouding becomes more dense and bigger as the cataract develops. The cloudier the lens becomes, the less sharp the image and the greater the effect on your sight.

Age-related cataracts is the most common type and it is not known for sure how or why cataracts forms or why your risk increases as you get older.  

 

 

Your Age Scotland

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Age Scotland Helpline:
0845 125 9732

Useful links

  • The Health A-Z section of this website contains information of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of many types of illnesses.  It also includes video interviews with specialists and patients.  NHS inform is a new national health information service providing a single source of quality assured health information for the public in Scotland.

  • SHOW (Scotland's Health on the Web) provides information on more than 100 topics covering all aspects of healthy living and advice on coping with long-term health conditions as well as the NHS and health services.

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