Four Risk Factors for Developing Cataracts

Your eyes each have a clear lens that allows light to pass through to the back of your eye (retina), where visual images are processed and sent to your brain so you can see. Like a camera lens, your eyes’ lenses need to be clear and clean for images to remain sharp. Cataracts form when the proteins inside your lenses break down and form cloudy areas that obscure your vision. There are many different types of cataracts, and your Champaign, IL optometrists at Champaign Eye Professionals can provide treatments that can restore your vision. There are four main risk factors for developing cataracts:

1. Age

As we age, proteins throughout the body break down and regenerate more slowly than when we were younger. Protein deterioration happens to the clear crystallin proteins in your eyes’ lenses, too. When these proteins break down over time, cloudy patches form.

2. Environmental Factors

Toxins that surround us in our environment can also damage cells in the eyes and cause cataracts. People with high exposure to the following environmental factors have a higher incidence of cataracts:

• Air pollution
• Alcohol consumption
• Tobacco smoke
• Pesticides
• Chemicals used in industrial settings
• Excess exposure to UV rays from the sun

3. Medical Risks

Some medical conditions also impact the clarity of your eyes’ lenses. Sometimes, medications and treatments for other medical conditions can stimulate cataract formation. Some of the biggest medical risk factors for cataracts include:

• Unchecked diabetes
• A history of glaucoma
• Corticosteroid use for treating other health conditions
• A history of other eye diseases

4. Genetic Predisposition

If you have close family members who have cataracts, your risk increases. Genetic factors can affect how resilient or vulnerable your eye lens proteins are to other risk factors, too. Although you cannot alter your genetic risk factors, you should inform your optometrists in Champaign about them so they can proactively monitor your eyes for cataract development.

Cataract Treatment with The Eye Doctors Champaign Residents Trust

The only way to treat cataracts is to remove them surgically. The highly-skilled optometrists here at Champaign Eye Professionals can remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear, new intraocular lens that restores clear vision. This surgery can also correct other vision issues like refractive errors, making you less reliant on glasses or contacts. If you have any questions or concerns about your vision, schedule an appointment with us today.