Facts About Cataract

This information was developed by the National Eye Institute to help patients and their families search for general information about cataracts. An eye care professional who has examined the patient's eyes and is familiar with his or her medical history is the best person to answer specific questions.

Cataract Defined

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

What is the lens?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.

The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

Organic apples make the perfect health food

Organic apples are one of the most perfect health foods you can eat. They contain a very filling and satisfying type of fiber, which helps with weight control. They also have several powerful nutrients that truly will "keep the doctor away" when consumed on a regular basis.

Pectin
The fiber that is found abundantly in apples is called pectin. This type of fiber is beneficial to your overall health in several ways. Pectin has demonstrated an ability to help lower cholesterol levels. It has also demonstrated a blood sugar stabilizing effect. It has been linked to a lower likelihood of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

This also has the effect of reducing the appetite and making one feel fuller longer. Organic apples are an excellent snack for this reason. They register at about 50-80 calories depending on their size, so they have minimum impact on your daily caloric intake.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery.  

When to consider cataract surgery
Talk with your eye doctor about whether surgery is right for you. Most eye doctors suggest considering cataract surgery when your cataracts begin to affect your quality of life or interfere with your ability to perform normal daily activities, such as reading or driving at night.

It's up to you and your doctor to decide when cataract surgery is right for you. For most people, there is no rush to remove cataracts because they usually don't harm the eye. Delaying the procedure won't make it more likely that you won't recover your vision if you eventually decide to have cataract surgery. Take time to consider the benefits and risks of cataract surgery with your doctor.

If you choose not to undergo cataract surgery for now, your eye doctor may recommend periodic follow-up exams to see if your cataracts are progressing. How often you'll see your eye doctor depends on your situation.

Building Bigger Calves

If you’re like a number of men out there, one muscle you likely struggle with is the calf muscle. Most men will state that one of their training and fitness goals is building bigger calves since they have put in a lot of work to develop powerful legs, but yet this lower leg muscle is still lagging behind.

In some instances, it’s genetics that destines you to have a hard time building bigger calves, and in other cases it’s a lack of proper training that keeps the calves from taking shape.

Whatever situation you’re in, taking the time to learn some new training techniques and then implementing these into your regime will be vital to seeing increases in this muscle tissue and building bigger calves.