What are cataracts?
A cataract is a cloudiness of the eye's natural lens, which lies between the front and back areas of the eye, directly behind the pupil.
Most cataracts develop slowly over time and affect people over age 50. About half of the U.S. population has a cataract by age 65, and nearly everyone over age 75 has at least a mild cataract in one or both eyes.
In rare cases, infants can have congenital cataracts. These usually are related to the mother having German measles, chickenpox or another infectious disease during pregnancy; but sometimes cataracts are inherited.
Mild cataracts often cause little or no vision problems. Your eye doctor monitors your cataract to see if it worsens and more significantly affects your vision or lifestyle before recommending surgery.
Some cataracts never reach the stage at which they need to be removed. But if your cataract worsens and you begin to have trouble seeing clearly for driving and other everyday tasks, it's probably time to consider cataract surgery.
How can I find cataract surgery specialists near me?
Our locator makes it easy to find a cataract surgery center in your local area. Simply enter your address or zip code using the “Edit Search” option at the bottom of the locator, and a list of cataract surgery centers in your area will appear.
If you prefer to view your results on a map rather than in a list, click on the “Map View” tab above the very first eye doctor listed.