With the days getting shorter, have you started to notice changes to your vision while driving at night? If so, this could be an early warning sign of cataracts.
As you age, proteins begin to build up and clump together in the eye’s lens, preventing light from passing clearly through the lens and obscuring vision. These protein deposits are known as cataracts and are a normal part of the aging process. Currently, more than 22 million Americans age 40 and older, and half of all Americans over the age of 80 are affected by cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).
By the year 2050, the National Eye Institute (NEI) predicts that more than 50.2 million Americans will develop cataracts. So, it should come as no surprise that cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedure across the country. Still, there is a lot that the general public does not know about cataract surgery – particularly when it comes to post-op care.
The National Eye Institute (NEI) predicts that by the year 2050, 50.2 million Americans will develop cataracts. But don’t worry. Cataracts are a normal part of the aging process, currently affecting more than 22 million Americans age 40 and older, and half of all Americans over the age of 80, according to NEI. In a healthy eye, the lens focuses “light onto the retina for clear vision” and “adjusts the eye’s focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away,” explains Gretchyn Bailey, editor in chief of Optometry Times. Over time, proteins begin to build up in the lens, forming protein clumps, which can obscure normal vision. These clumps, or deposits, prevent light from passing clearly through the lens, causing images to appear cloudy or blurry, especially at night.
In a new study published on March 7, 2017 by PLoS One, a team of researchers from the Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science in Taiwain, led by principal investigator Ji-An Liang, MD, found that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases cataract risk, particularly if treated with interferon-ribavirin. 
According to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, Americans over the age of 65 are living longer. Between 1992 and 2008, healthy life expectancy at age 65 increased by 1.8 years, and two treatments contributed: better cardiac care and cataract surgery. Those who opt for cataract surgery also experienced fewer falls, injuries, and disabilities.