What is the most common cause of reduced vision in patients older than 60?

The answer is cataracts!

Cataracts develop when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy with age. Symptoms of age-related cataracts include glare, halos around lights and cloudy or blurry vision. There are three types of age-related cataracts: Nuclear, Cortical, and Posterior Subcapsular.

Nuclear cataracts form in the central part of the lens. Usually early symptoms include improved near-vision. As the nuclear cataract worsens, the lens turns yellow and blocks the light from entering the eye. Some important risk factors for nuclear cataracts are age, smoking, UV light exposure, and underlying health conditions like diabetes.

Cortical cataracts form on the outer edge of the lens. Symptoms include light sensitivity, glare, and difficulty seeing at night. Risk factors for cortical cataracts include age, high blood pressure or diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, smoking, obesity, and UV light exposure.

Posterior subcapsular cataracts form on the back surface of the lens. These cataracts cause glare and obstruct your vision. This form of cataract tends to develop and progress faster than the other forms of age-related cataracts. Risk factors include age, diabetes, eye injuries, and large amount of near-sightedness.

All forms of cataracts can be diagnosed and evaluated during a comprehensive eye exam. Once diagnosed, your eye doctor will recommend the best management plan for your cataracts. Cataracts are monitored annually until they are ready to be removed and replaced with an artificial lens by an ophthalmologist.