What are cataracts?
Like a camera, the eye has a lens to focus sharp images. Vision is good when the lens is clear and focuses light on a healthy retina at the back of the eye.
Cataracts are a clouding of this natural lens, and they are a part of the normal aging process. If we live long enough, we will all get them. Some cataracts are caused by birth defects, injuries, medications, infections, radiation, toxic substances or severe electric shock.
Cataracts are the most common cause of blurred vision for people over the age of 50. Although there is no medicine or diet to cure cataracts, surgical removal of the cataract and replacement with a permanent artificial lens implant can restore lost vision.
An estimated 15 million people in the world are blinded by cataracts. Thousands who lack Medicare, Medicaid, third-party insurance or any other means to pay for surgery have already been helped by Mission Cataract.
