Last August saw a national awareness campaign organised by opticians and allied eye professionals in the USA.

The campaign was to raise the profile of how cataracts can be developed and how they can be prevented.

Cataracts which are a kind of thin veil covering the lens of the eye are normally associated with people who are growing old. But in fact there are a number of factors that can cause this problem, not just aging.

For instance, UV light can damage eyesight. Smoking cigarettes can also cause problems. The latter is interesting as it is not normally something associated with cataract development.

Symptoms include double vision; stronger prescriptions in contact lens and spectacles; cloudy or blurred vision; and problems seeing with glare from light sources.

Hence, the national campaign in the USA hopes that people of all ages will think more seriously about looking after their eyesight. Apart from regular annual check-ups, the professionals are recommending wearing sunglasses, especially in bright sunlight.

Doing so will help prevent the development of cataracts.

Many people worry about developing cataracts as they got older. Traditionally, they had to be cut out, leaving patients in pain for some time during the recovery period.

Nowadays, technological developments have changed tremendously. For example, laser treatment via LASIK is becoming the norm.

However the old adage that prevention is better than cure is very apt here.