The eye lens, when healthy, is a clear natural disc. A cataract is a clouded or opaque area that develops in the lens, typically a result of age, but occasionally developing in younger people. The cloudy area may be more pronounced in one eye, only in one eye, or in both eyes. The lens of the eye is located behind the colored part of the eyeball structure (iris). The lens allows light to be focused on the retina, with the information then traveling through the optic nerve to the brain.
This amazing structure does not function correctly when the lens is cloudy, with the light entering the eye scattering rather than focusing. People with cataracts often have blurred vision, see dull colors, and have difficulties with seeing clearly at night. There is no treatment available to halt the development of cataracts. Resolution involves laser surgery to remove the damaged lens, replacing it with a synthetic lens.