Causes and Risk Factors

Traumatic Cataracts

Eye injuries, caused by sharp objects or a direct blow to the eye, can cause traumatic cataracts. Traumatic cataracts may also form as a result of a head injury near the eye, earlier eye surgery, eye inflammation, chemical burns, and electric shock.

Some scientists consider radiation a form of "slow trauma" that contributes to cataract development. Overexposure to radiation can come from numerous sources, including:

• Sunlight (ultraviolet light), which is most intense at the equator and accounts for a higher incidence of cataracts among inhabitants of lower latitudes. (Researchers expect this problem to worsen with continued depletion of the ozone layer.)
• Cosmic radiation, which particularly affects commercial airline pilots and astronauts
• Infrared (heat) radiation, usually as a result of prolonged occupational exposure (by glassblowers, for example-hence the term glassblower's cataract)
• Intense artificial light, such as that used in arc welding
• Radiation therapy near the eye

Other Risk Factors »