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 What exactly is a cataract?
The human lens in the eye is normally crystal clear, but when it becomes opaque, we call it a 'cataract'. A cataract is NOT a film or growth that occurs in the eye. It is simply a cloudy lens. As the opacity worsens, it prevents light from properly focusing on the retina, the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Early lens changes or opacities may not disturb vision significantly. But as the lens continues to change, the vision becomes blurred and the person notices glare, haziness, and difficulty with seeing street signs or reading, for example.
The cornea is the clear dome of tissue at the front of the eye that helps focus light (contact lenses sit on the cornea). The lens is located behind the iris, the blue, green, or brown part of the eye. The lens has three parts: the capsule, the cortex, and the nucleus. All parts of the lens are normally clear.
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