What are cataracts?

A cataract is the gradual clouding of the lens, the eye's natural, transparent focusing structure. Over the years, the proteins in this lens lose their transparency and become cloudy, preventing light from reaching the retina clearly.

It is, by far, the most common cause of age-related vision loss, though it can also occur for other reasons: trauma, prolonged steroid use, poorly controlled diabetes, or even from birth (congenital cataract).

It's a normal part of the eye's aging process, not a disease that can be prevented with eye drops or vitamins — despite what's sometimes said. The only way to resolve it is through surgery, and today it's one of the safest procedures in all of modern surgery, with excellent outcomes.