Being told that you might have cataracts or being officially diagnosed with them can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it's something that most people will go through at some point in their lives. Developing cataracts is often a natural part of aging, but that doesn't mean that it's something you have to struggle with. Courtesy of modern medicine and surgical techniques, cataracts can be corrected. But what exactly is a cataract and how does surgery fix them? Here's what you should know.

The Structure of the Eye

The eye is made up of multiple parts that all have a role to play in letting you see through them. However, when it comes to cataracts, the part that goes wrong is the lens of the eye, which is on the surface of the eyeball.

While parts of the eye like the retina often play a bigger role in allowing you to see clearly, the lens of the eye is where all light has to first pass through in order to reach the retina at the back. So if something goes wrong with the lens, this is where vision problems can start.

Changes to the Lens

The lens of most people's eyes changes naturally over time as they grow older. One of the first changes you're likely to experience with the lens of the eye is a stiffening of the lens. You won't feel this, but you'll see the difference as it becomes harder for your eyes to shift focus on things that are up close or far away.

Another change is the cataract itself. As people get older, the lens of the eye starts to cloud over. This can initially make your vision a little blurry, or make it harder to see in dark lighting conditions. However, if left untreated, the clouding can continue until vision becomes completely obscured. Prior to cataract surgery, cataracts were definitely capable of leading to full blindness.

What Surgery Accomplishes

These days, cataracts aren't a big deal. The surgery is able to stop cataracts in their tracks by removing the original lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial one.

Your eye surgeon will numb your eyes fully to ensure your comfort, and will then carefully cut the surface of the eye to access the lens. Once it's reached, it will be removed entirely, and replaced with an artificial one that can't cloud over or become stiffer over time. This will not only restore your vision to its full clarity but may also help you to shift your focus more easily between close and far away ranges.

For more information, contact a clinic like Sabates Eye Centers.