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Dry eye is a chronic medical condition that develops when the eye's tear film does not lubricate and protect the eye's outer surface.
While recent scientific advances are closing in on what causes the proteins to rearrange and the lens to cloud up, we do know key risk factors for cataract formation. Growing older is one. So are long-term exposure to sunlight and smoking cigarettes.
According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. In the U.S., more than half of all people 65 and older have a cataract.
The majority of cataracts are age-related. A cataract begins as a small opacity within the lens and grows until it interferes with vision. Many people have cataracts and don’t even notice until the defect grows large. Vision might appear a little hazy at first and lights might give off a halo or glare. Colors can appear faded. Blue might look green and yellow might appear white. Ultimately, everyday tasks become challenging.
It is at this point that many people have cataract-removal surgery. The surgeon removes the clouded lens and typically replaces it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). Thanks to many years of vision research, cataract surgery is safe and effective, and in the U.S., widely accessible.