Do medical treatments reverse cataracts?

Do medical treatments reverse cataracts?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Sometimes
• D. Only in early stages

Answer: (A)

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens caused by protein changes, which creates a physical opacity. Because this opacity is a structural change in the lens itself, medications or eye drops do not dissolve or reverse it. The only proven way to restore vision from a cataract is surgical removal of the cloudy lens with implantation of an artificial intraocular lens. In some cases, vision can be helped temporarily by updating glasses or using better lighting, but these measures do not remove the cataract. Research continues into drugs that might slow progression, but no medical treatment reverses an existing cataract.

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens caused by protein changes, which creates a physical opacity. Because this opacity is a structural change in the lens itself, medications or eye drops do not dissolve or reverse it. The only proven way to restore vision from a cataract is surgical removal of the cloudy lens with implantation of an artificial intraocular lens. In some cases, vision can be helped temporarily by updating glasses or using better lighting, but these measures do not remove the cataract. Research continues into drugs that might slow progression, but no medical treatment reverses an existing cataract.