Cataracts

A cataract is an opacification of the eye‚s crystalline lens. As its name suggests, the crystalline lens is normally transparent. It is a sort of lens located inside the eye which, in the same way as a camera, acts as an objective for the retina. A cataract forms when the crystalline lens becomes opaque and disrupts vision. It feels like a veil in front of the eyes.

Cataracts are easy to treat and in France, half a million people a year have a cataract operation. A harmless procedure, this operation consists in removing the crystalline lens by laser incision and replacing it with an implant or lens.

Cataracts are often a result of the ageing process in elderly people. A number of factors increase the chances of developing a cataract: exposure to the sun without protection, certain diseases such as diabetes, intensive and long-term medication.