Cataract (Yarod in Hebrew) is the clouding of the eye's natural lens. Typically, the lens is transparent and assists in focusing light rays onto the retina, which is the part of the eye that allows us to see shapes, colors, and light. The most common cause of cataract formation is the natural aging process of the lens.
Cataracts are the leading cause of among the adult population. Approximately 45% of people aged 75 and older suffer from cataracts. Other causes that can lead to the formation of cataracts include injury, congenital or acquired diseases such as diabetes, smoking, and the use of certain medications like steroids.
In the initial stage, cataracts in the eyes can manifest as a change in eyeglass prescription only. Later, additional symptoms may appear, including persistent blurred vision, double vision (in one eye,) faded color vision, glare, and impaired night vision quality. To diagnose cataracts, an ophthalmologist measures visual acuity, checks the eyeglass prescription, dilates the pupils, and directly observes the lens in the eye.
Nowadays, the only effective treatment is surgery, where the cloudy lens is removed from the eye and replaced with an artificial lens. While the surgery is considered to have a , there is an intensive effort to develop a medicinal treatment to clear the natural lens. Several studies have indicated the potential of such a treatment.
However, no such treatment has been proven through research, and no medicinal treatment has been appro.