Cataract Awareness Month

Join us this June for Cataract Awareness Month to learn the signs, symptoms, and treatment options for cataracts. Discover how early detection can save sight and improve quality of life. Find out how to get involved today!

What are Cataracts?

Cataracts develop when the lens inside your eye, which is typically clear, starts forming cloudy patches. Over time, these patches can grow, leading to blurry or misty vision and, in severe cases, blindness. It's akin to a clear glass becoming frosted, limiting our vision. Cataracts can appear in both eyes, though they might not develop simultaneously or to the same extent in each eye.

Cataract Insights

Did you know...

• Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Despite there being a highly successful known treatment, cataracts are responsible for almost half of all cases of blindness across the globe.
• 65% of people diagnosed had no idea they had the condition. This makes getting regular tests crucial, as cataracts are incredibly slow develop with symptoms almost imperceptible. 
• Millions are blind simply because they don't have access to basic cataract surgery. Surgery can cost as little as £30-50 in some countries, but sadly for so many this cost is unaffordable.
• Cataract surgery has a success rate of over 95%. Many people report having better vision within days of treatment.
• Cataracts can start forming from the age of 40. It may be unnoticeable at first, but eventually worsens with age and other secondary causes, like diabetes or other eye conditions.
• Surgery to remove cataracts is the most common operation in the NHS. Over 400,000 cataract surgeries are performed each year.