CHICAGO—According to the World Health Organization, cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Prevent Blindness has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

In “Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems” by Prevent Blindness, “the current number of those in the United States with cataract will increase from more than 25.7 million, to 38.5 million by 2032, and then to 45.6 million by the year 2050. Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye.”
Several possible risk factors for cataracts include age, intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun, certain diseases such as diabetes, hereditary factors, smoking and long-term steroid use.

However, unlike many eye diseases, vision loss due to cataract can be restored. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the U.S. According to the National Eye Institute, in approximately 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have improved vision.

Additionally, most cataract surgery is usually covered by Medicare and health insurance, Prevent Blindness said in a statement. For information on insurance benefits click here.

For those interested in conducting discussions or seminars on the subject, Prevent Blindness offers a free online course on cataract as part of the “Adult Eye Disorders” module including a PowerPoint presentation with a complete guide as part of its Healthy Eyes Educational Series.

For more cataract information, visit the Prevent Blindness website at preventblindness.org/cataract.