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Cataracts cause 51% of all cases of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide. [3] [9] Cataracts are most commonly due to aging but may also occur due to trauma or radiation exposure, be present from birth, or occur following eye surgery for other problems.
Approximately 50% of all congenital cataract cases may have a genetic cause which is quite heterogeneous. It is known that different mutations in the same gene can cause similar cataract patterns, while the highly variable morphologies of cataracts within some families suggest that the same mutation in a single gene can lead to different ...
Cataracts are the leading cause of child and adult blindness that doubles in prevalence with every ten years after the age of 40. [57] Consequently, today cataracts are more common among adults than in children. [56] That is, people face higher chances of developing cataracts as they age.
At some point—usually as you enter middle age—most people develop this eye condition, which is a clouding of the eye’s lens that can get progressively worse and impair your vision.
Trauma can cause cataracts in childhood. [2] [4] There are different types of traumatic injury that cause cataracts in different parts of the world. Child abuse may cause traumatic injury to the eye and cataracts. [2] Open globe injuries are more often associated with cataracts than closed globe injuries. [4]
Cataract surgery is the most common application of lens removal surgery, and is usually associated with lens replacement. It is used to remove the natural lens of the eye when it has developed a cataract, a cloudy area in the lens that causes visual impairment. [4] [10] Cataracts usually develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. [4]