Does your eye colour influence risk of cataracts? (2024)

FAQs

Does your eye colour influence risk of cataracts? ›

People with dark brown eyes have the greatest risk of developing cataracts. An Australian study found that the risk can be up to 2.5 times greater for certain types of cataracts.

The color of your eyes affects your risk of developing cataracts. Studies show that people with dark brown eyes have a higher risk of developing cataracts than people with lighter eyes. UV light is a known contributor to cataract development no matter what color your eyes are.

In these early stages, visual symptoms begin to affect how you see colors. Colors will appear dull and will likely have a yellowish tint. By the time the cataract has become a mature cataract, the opaqueness of the cataract will have changed color to either white or amber.

African American female patients had the highest odds of cortical cataract (odds ratio (OR) 3.81; 95% CI, 2.65-5.48, P < . 001), followed by African American male patients (OR 3.09; 95% CI, 2.05-4.67, P < . 001). Asian female and Asian male patients also had significantly higher odds of cortical cataract.

Brown Eyes Are Associated With Few if Any Health Risks

“In general, everyone should make sure to wear 100 percent UV-blocking sunglasses when outdoors to minimize their chances of developing cataracts and other eye diseases,” Abugo advises.

Yellow, amber, and orange will enhance contrast for day to day activities. Cataracts – After you have had cataract surgery you may consider wearing amber or tinted amber lenses which offer UVA/UVB protection, some glare control, and general comfort while outside.

Prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can enhance cataract progression. During sunny days when you must be outside, try to wear sunglasses. For the same reasons as stated above, reducing the amount of ultraviolet light that reaches your eyes will help keep cataracts at bay.

Glasses are not a means to treat cataracts but rather a way to circumvent the disease for a time. A new prescription may restore blurry vision for a moment but does not have any effect on the cataract. Eventually, a cataractous lens will win out and can go so far as to cause blindness if not removed.

What race has the worst eyesight? ›

Black, Hispanic, and low-income adults are more likely to have visual impairment, often attributable to preventable causes.

Researchers found that Asian-American children were more likely to be myopic, or nearsighted, than their Hispanic, African-American and white peers, while white children were more likely to have hyperopia, or farsightedness, than were children from the other ethnic groups.

While lighter-colored eyes may be more sensitive to sunlight, they are not necessarily more sensitive to vision. In fact, blue eyes have better visual acuity than brown eyes. This means that blue-eyed people can see small details more clearly.

The research shows that there is less pigment in blue eyes, and green eyes for that matter, than there is in brown eyes, so more light is able to penetrate blue eyes. This makes lighter eyes more sensitive to light and is what makes people with blue eyes more likely to have age-related macular degeneration.

Those with darker colored eyes experience less visual discomfort in bright, sunny conditions. Also, darker irises reflect less light within the eye, reducing susceptibility to glare and improving contrast discernment—so people with darker eyes may have better vision in high-glare situations, such as driving at night.

Cataract surgery doesn't affect how your eye physically looks. The color of your iris doesn't change, and the IOL isn't visible. You may, however, notice some temporary side effects: Slight bruising at the anesthesia injection site, which should fade within a few days.