Cataracts

Though accidents are typically rapid-onset affairs, cataracts come on slowly enough that the patient may not realize it for years. It is the gradual clouding of the eye lens. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness throughout the world, and 22 million Americans suffer from it. Very common in older people.

Cataracts are clumps of protein in the eye that prevent a clear image sent to the brain by the retina, sort of the movie screen that send neural impulses to create pictures in the brain. Cataracts are similar to having smeary fingerprints on the lens such that the transmitted picture is blurred.

Diabetes and glaucoma are both linked to cataracts. Long and repeated sun exposure to UV rays without sun protection can cause cataracts. Symptoms include trouble with night vision, faded colors, blurry vision, glare, and double vision.

Risks factors for cataracts are too much sun exposure, heavy drinking, high blood pressure, eye trauma, aging, diabetes, glaucoma, family history and smoking.

Glaucoma

Once again, this is a disease of the optic nerve, the main vision nerve to the brain. Glaucoma starts with a pattern of subtle vision loss on the sides. Typically, there are no obvious signs of vision loss. With an increase in eyeball pressure, the risk of glaucoma rises. 

Glaucoma usually involves blockage of the drainage, or outflow, ducts for eyeball fluids. This increases fluid pressure in the eyeball, which increases pressure on the delicate optic nerve, damaging it. Unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma.

At-risk populations include African Americans 40-years old or older, everyone else over 60 years of age, those with family history of the disease and Hispanic Americans. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are also risk factors for glaucoma, as are a history of high eyeball pressure, or an injury to the eye.