A cataract is a clouding effect in the lens inside the eye that causes vision loss that is not correctable with traditional methods like glasses or contact lenses. Cataracts must be corrected by surgery.
Don’t let this scare you. Cataract surgery is still a surgical procedure that should be taken seriously, but it is common. The National Eye Institute estimates that nearly 70% of all Americans over 80 years of age had cataracts as of 2010.