FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Dori Jennings
Prevent Blindness Ohio
(614)270-0746
[email protected]
June is Cataract Awareness Month at Prevent Blindness Ohio, Providing Educational Resources about the Leading Cause of Vision Loss
in the United States
— Prevent Blindness Ohio offers free cataract resources including fact sheets, social media graphics, a dedicated web page, expert video and a listing of
financial assistance for eye care —
Columbus, OH (June 4, 2025) – Prevent Blindness Ohio has once again declared June as Cataract Awareness Month. The goal is to provide patients, care partners and allied health professionals with free educational resources on cataract, including fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, a dedicated webpage, a Focus on Eye Health Expert video, and a listing of financial assistance resources in English and Spanish.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally transparent. The lens helps to focus images onto the retina – which transmits the images to the brain. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of vision loss in the United States.
In fact, according to the National Eye Institute, more than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataract or have had surgery to remove cataract. Cataract surgery is one of the most common operations in the United States.
In addition to aging, other factors may cause cataracts to form. Eye infections, some medicines (such as steroids), injuries or exposure to intense heat or radiation may cause cataracts. Too much exposure to non-visible sunlight (called UV or ultraviolet light) and various diseases, such as diabetes or metabolic disorders, may also contribute to cataract formation.
Symptoms of cataract include:
- Vision is cloudy or blurry
- Colors appear faded
- Difficulty in seeing well at night
- Lamps, sunlight, or headlights seem too bright
- Halos appear around lights
- Double vision (this sometimes goes away as the cataract gets bigger)
- Frequent changes in the prescription of glasses or contact lenses
Prevent Blindness Ohio offers the Focus on Eye Health Expert Series episode “Understanding Cataract” featuring Albert Cheung, MD, Cataract, Cornea, Anterior Segment Specialist with Virginia Eye Consultants and Assistant Professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that during cataract surgery, an eye surgeon will remove the eye’s cloudy natural lens. Then, he or she will replace it with an artificial lens. This new lens is called an intraocular lens (or IOL). 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.”
“We know that with age, the likelihood of developing cataract increases,” said Amy Pulles, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “We encourage everyone to be proactive about their eye health, including getting regular eye care, and talking to your eye care professional about cataract risks and what steps you can take to protect your vision today and for tomorrow.”
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.
About Prevent Blindness Ohio
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: facebook.com/pbohio/
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