Prevent Blindness Ohio Declares June as Cataract Awareness Month to Educate Public on Eye Disease that is the Leading Cause of
Vision Loss in the United States
— Prevent Blindness Ohio provides free cataract resources to patients and professionals including fact sheets, social media graphics, a dedicated web page and expert video —
Columbus, OH (June 6, 2024) – Prevent Blindness Ohio has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to provide patients and professionals with free educational resources on cataract, a clouding of the eye’s lens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Additionally, an estimated 20.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataract in one or both eyes.
Prevent Blindness Ohio offers a variety of free informational resources in English and Spanish including fact sheets, social media graphics, and a listing of vision care financial assistance programs. The group also offers a dedicated web resource at PreventBlindness.org/cataract, and the “Understanding Cataract” episode in the “Focus on Eye Health Expert Series,” featuring Albert Cheung, MD, Cataract, Cornea, Anterior Segment Specialist with Virginia Eye Consultants and Assistant Professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology.
More than half of all Americans have cataract by the time they are 80 years old. However, cataract can also sometimes be found in young people or even newborn babies (congenital). Risk factors for developing cataract include:
- Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun
- Certain diseases, such as diabetes
- Inflammation in the eye
- Hereditary influences
- Events before birth, such as German measles in the mother
- Long-term steroid use (medicines used to treat some health problems, like arthritis or allergies)
- Eye injuries
- Eye diseases, such as glaucoma
- Smoking
The Cleveland Clinic states that cataract surgery is one of the most common procedures, with surgeons performing more than 3 million cataract surgeries in the United States, and 20 million globally, improving vision for 97 percent of patients. For those who have had cataract surgery recommended by their eye doctors, Prevent Blindness Ohio offers the dedicated webpage, PreventBlindness.org/cataract-surgery, and the printable “Guide to Cataract Surgery.”
“As we age, we are more likely to develop cataract. The good news is that surgery is highly effective,” said Amy Pulles, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “Be sure to talk to your eye doctor about your risk for cataract and steps you can take to keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear.”
For free information on cataract or cataract surgery, please visit PreventBlindness.org/cataract. For a listing of vision care financial assistance programs in English and Spanish, visit PreventBlindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information. Or contact Prevent Blindness Ohio at 800-301-2020 or pbohio.org.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to 1,000,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. For more information or to contribute, call 800-301-2020 or donate here. Visit us at pbohio.org. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/pbohio/ and X:twitter.com/PB_Ohio
###
