Cataracts in youth

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Cataracts in youth

Younger people are still at risk for cataracts; however, there are ways to prevent the condition.


It's no secret that as we age, our bodies and health change in ways that can slow us down, cause impairment or make us take extra caution. Yet as we anticipate these changes, some of us still hold off on doing anything to prevent the things that are easily preventable - like cataracts.

"Everyone actually gets cataracts at one point."  - Dr. Rosa Braga-Mele


Dr. Rosa Braga-Mele is the Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto and Director of Cataract surgery at Kensington Eye Institute. “As a cataract progresses, then your activities of daily living become much more difficult,” Braga-Mele says.

“You try to optimize light to read and you can’t, or you try to use a magnifying glass because your regular reading glasses just won’t work anymore and there could be issues when you’re driving at night because there’s a glare around lights and it makes it more difficult to drive. It impacts every part of your life.”

Those over the age of 65 are more likely to get cataracts, but that doesn’t mean younger people can’t get them either, she says. Usually, it’s young people with underlying health conditions – like diabetes or an auto-immune disorder, for example – who will develop cataracts. Developing cataracts can also be due to trauma to the eye or excessive exposure to the sun. Then there’s the group of people who are just born with them.


Dr. Braga-Mele shared some tips to prolong the progression of cataracts:

• Wear sunglasses throughout the seasons to protect your eyes 

• Eat a healthy diet rich in lutein (found in green leafy vegetables), which is known to help slow the progression of cataracts 

• Make sure to keep on top of your medical care, especially if you have an underlying health condition


Read full story featured on Global News.

Posted in Eye Clinic, Featured, Featured Eye Clinic on Jul 08, 2019

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