All about Cataracts

Blindness affects blacks more frequently than whites and Hispanics.  Cataracts and glaucoma are serious problems for African Americans, causing over half of the cases of blindness in African Americans.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.  Symptoms of cataracts include:

• cloudy or blurry vision
• colors looking faded
• poor night vision
• seeing double
• seeing a halo around lights

See an eye doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms.

More women than men get cataracts. In the U.S., about half of the vision loss in African Americans is caused by cataracts.

There are things you can do to help protect your vision:

• Always wear sunglasses and a hat when outside.
• Don’t smoke. If you smoke, try to quit.
• Eat healthy foods. Eat lots of fruits and green leafy vegetables.

African Americans over age 40 should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once every two years.