Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about cataracts.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero to finals.com slash cataracts or in the

ophthalmology section of the second edition of the zero to finals medicine book.

And you can find flashcards and questions to train your knowledge

and help you remember the information for longer at members.0 to finals.com.

So let's get straight into it.

Cataracts describe when the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque,

which reduces the light entering the eye and reduces the visual acuity.

Essentially, the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, which reduces the light and the information

that's entering the eye and reduces how clear the vision is.

The role of the lens is to focus light onto the retina.

The retina is what senses information coming into the eye and sends a signal to the brain.

The lens is held in place by suspensory ligaments that are attached to the ciliary body.

The ciliary body contracts and relaxes to change the shape of the lens.

When the ciliary body contracts, it releases tension on the suspensory ligaments and the lens. When the ciliary body contracts, it releases tension on the

suspensary ligaments and the lens thickens. When the ciliary body relaxes, the

suspensory ligaments tension and the lens narrows. The lens has no blood supply and it's

nourished by the aqueous humour.

Most cataracts take years to develop and they're associated with older age.

Congenital cataracts occur before birth.

The red reflex is tested during the neonatal examination to screen for congenital cataracts in babies that are

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