Are cataracts hereditary?

Whether cataracts are hereditary depends on the specific cause. If it is caused by congenital genetic factors, it is generally hereditary. If it is caused by acquired factors, it is generally not hereditary.

What are cataracts?

Cataract is a common ophthalmic disease. Under normal circumstances, the human lens is transparent. The cloudiness of the lens caused by various reasons causes the patient to experience varying degrees of vision loss, which is called cataract.

Causes of Cataracts

Congenital cataract:

Congenital cataract is a common eye disease in children. Partial or complete clouding of the lens that occurs in the first year after birth is called congenital cataract. Congenital cataract is caused by heredity, chromosomes, intrauterine infection and other reasons. It is one of the important causes of blindness and amblyopia in children.

Cao Xiangrong, president of Tianjin University Aier Eye Hospital, said that congenital cataracts have different clinical manifestations and different causes. They can be unilateral or bilateral, with complete or incomplete lens opacity. Because the affected eye has a cloudy lens blocking the normal retinal stimulation, it affects the normal development of the visual system and may cause deprivation amblyopia. It may also cause or aggravate strabismus and nystagmus, seriously affecting the visual development of children. Therefore, its treatment is different from that of adult cataracts. Early treatment is necessary.

Cataracts caused by acquired factors:

1. Senile cataract

Senile cataract is a phenomenon of aging. As we age, the lens in the eye gradually hardens and becomes cloudy, causing visual impairment. Symptoms include foggy vision, color changes, black spots in front of the eyes, double vision, etc.

2. Traumatic cataract

Cataracts are caused by eye injuries such as car accidents, blunt force trauma, punctures from sharp objects, or penetrating foreign bodies in the eye.

3. Abnormal immune metabolism induces cataracts

Suffering from metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypokalemia, hypothyroidism, etc. can lead to lens protein denaturation and metabolic abnormalities, which can cause cataracts.

4. High myopia induces cataracts

It often occurs in middle-aged and older patients with high myopia. Because the degree of myopia in patients continues to deepen due to long-term improper use of eyes or unscientific correction, floaters, macular hemorrhage, and fundus retinal lesions appear, inducing cataracts.