“Doc, how bad are my cataracts?” “How fast are my cataracts growing?” These are two questions I get asked by my patients daily. The majority of people believe that cataracts are a film that is growing over their eyes. This film needs to be removed to improve their vision.

What is a cataract? A cataract occurs when the lens behind the pupil, which focuses the light onto the retina, becomes cloudy or hazy. It is not a film growing over the eye. The term cataracts came from the term used for rapids in a river. When the water in a river starts to flow rapidly downstream, the water changes from clear to white. Before surgery was available to remove a cataract, the pupil would turn white as the cataract became severely advanced, or the term ripe was used. In the modern world, very few people let their cataracts advance to that level.

Grading is useful in documenting the type and severity of the cataract. It helps with providing important data in clinical studies. Cataract surgery is a great operation and the doctor grading your cataract helps them design the surgical procedure you will have done.

Dr. James E. Croley III is a respected eye surgeon and a Christian. He is the author of two books, Believing is Seeing and The Blinding of America. Order copies for your family and friends today.