In rare cases, babies are born with cataracts. Mothers used to be concerned about getting German measles (rubella) during the first three months of pregnancy, since the disease could cause birth defects, including cataracts. Fortunately, now that children are routinely vaccinated against rubella, this risk has virtually disappeared in the United States. Other infections and certain medications early in pregnancy can soil cause congenital cataracts, as can hereditary conditions. These cataracts might or might not cause vision problems.
If they do, they are surgically treated in much the same way as are cataracts in adults.
 

Illness-Related Cataracts
 
Diabetes mellitus is probably the most highly publicized source of cataracts that form due to disease. People with higher-than-normal blood-sugar levels, even if they are not diabetic, are also at risk for cataracts.
 
There are dozens of other illnesses that can lead to cataract formation, including hypertension and thyroid disorders.
 
Traumatic Cataracts
 
Eye injuries, caused by sharp objects or a direct blow to the eye, can cause traumatic cataracts. Traumatic cataracts may also form as a result of a head injury near the eye, earlier eye surgery, eye inflammation, chemical bums, and electric shock.

Some scientists consider radiation a form of “slow trauma” that contributes to cataract development. Overexposure to radiation can come from numerous sources, including:

• Sunlight (ultraviolet light), which is most intense at the equator and accounts for a higher incidence of cataracts among inhabitants of lower latitudes. (Researchers expect this problem to worsen with continued depletion of the ozone layer.)
• Cosmic radiation, which particularly affects commercial airline pilots and astronauts
• Infrared
  (heat) radiation, usually as a result of prolonged occupational
  exposure (by glassblowers, for example – hence the term glassblower’s
  cataract) 
• Intense artificial light, such as that used in arc welding 
• Radiation therapy near the eye  

Other Risk Factors

• Long-term drug use, including chemotherapy and the use of corticosteroids, whether taken orally, inhaled, injected, or applied to the skin
• Heredity; a family history of early cataract development
• Dark eye color 
• Gender (women, especially those who started menstruating late, being at higher risk) 
• Severe
  myopia – although eyeglasses, worn for many years, apparently provide
  protection against ultraviolet radiation and can offset the risk from
  nearsightedness 

Low cholesterol levels in the lens and cerebral cortex can contribute to cataract formation, according to a Japanese study published in 2006. The study cautioned physicians to be aware of this effect when prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Paradoxically, a University of Wisconsin study (2006) and two Australian studies (2007) have shown that taking cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins significantly slows cataract development and also reduces the risk of macular degeneration. Researchers are working to clarify the relationship between cholesterol and cataracts.
 
Can you prevent cataracts? Not entirely. But you might well delay the onset of cataracts by being sensible about sun exposure, wearing UV-protective sunglasses and a hat with a brim when you’re outdoors, eating well, keeping fit, learning to relax, and staying upbeat in the face of stress. Delaying cataract formation is just one of many reasons to cultivate a lifestyle that promotes health and well-being.

Your Eye Examination 

Optics is one of the most advanced fields of scientific research and application. Eye doctors can use amazingly sophisticated machines to examine your eyes microscopically, detect even the abnormal proteins that are present in cataracts.

Chances are, though, that the first thing you’ll do at your eye exam is look at a good old-fashioned eye chart – the same kind eye doctors have been using since the mid-eighteenth century.
 
Having you read the letters on the eye chart – the visual acuity test – is one of the ways your doctor checks for signs of cataracts. For a definite diagnosis, the doctor will use eye drops to dilate your pupils. The wider the pupil, the better he or she can use special lights to examine the inside of the eye and actually see cataracts on the lens.

The various tests described in the next post gives you and your doctor information about the overall air of your eye and about other conditions that might be affecting your eyesight. The tests can reveal how much of your vision loss is due to cataracts rather than, for example, presbyopia, myopia, or eye disease. To find out more, you can check out Vision Correction Without Surgery.