Cataracts are a common physical condition as we age, and along with this decrease in vision can come significant mental health changes.

Cataracts are one of the most common reasons people lose sight worldwide, even though they can usually be corrected. This vision disorder, which can make people’s lives less enjoyable, is still one of the major eye health issues in both developed and developing countries, and it is the primary reason people go blind. Thirty-six million people around the world are blind, and more than 12 million of them are blind because of cataracts. According to estimates, the production cost to businesses worldwide is $411 billion yearly.

It’s important to note that some genes and environmental factors, like smoking cigarettes, being exposed to UV light, and having certain diseases like diabetes, uveitis, IOP-lowering drugs or surgery, trauma, steroid use, or working in certain jobs, can make it more likely someone will develop a cataract. In addition, several studies have looked at the association between different types of antidepressants and a higher chance of developing cataracts. Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline were linked to a higher chance of cortical cataracts.

Eyes and vision have an effect on someone's mental health. As the eyes’ lens gets cloudier, the light gets scattered, and our sense of what we see changes, making us feel many things. Studies have shed light on the neurotransmitters that play a part in this process and how they may affect changes in behavior and mood.

I didn’t realize I had cataracts because the process of lens clouding happens so subtly, and it only stuck with me when a gray scarf suddenly looked purple. I had to have someone verify that, indeed; the scarf was gray. After my surgery, it was as though the world burst into brilliant colors that I hadn’t seen before and it was euphoric.

One of the main chemicals that cataracts change is serotonin, which controls mood, sleep, and hunger. A study found that people with cataracts had more changes in serotonin than people who did not have the condition. It has been shown that rats with high serotonin levels develop cloudy lenses. Also, people with cataracts and glaucoma had higher amounts of serotonin within their bodies. The researchers hypothesized that cataracts' loss of visual information might interfere with the circadian rhythm, altering serotonin production. This can cause depression, worry, and trouble sleeping, among other things. But the very medications that are supposed to relieve depression appear to be involved in cataract formation.

A number of studies have looked at how anxious or depressed cataract patients are. These studies regularly show that people with cataracts have worse anxiety and depression than healthy people. In China, studies showed that 18% of cataract patients had anxiety and depression, and 5.2% of healthy people. It was found that 20% of cataract patients in Russia were anxious, and 7% were depressed.

Seventy-two percent of the patients in one study had emotional problems before surgery. Twenty-seven percent of the patients had depression, 20% had anxiety-phobic disorders, and 16% had both anxiety and depression. The surgery usually positively addressed these problems for most of the patients.

Without question, research has shown there is a strong link between low vision-related quality of life, cognitive weakness, and depression and anxiety. Cataract surgery can improve the quality of life (QOL) of older people with this type of vision impairment, and it also helps their cognitive impairment and emotional state.

Numerous factors are involved in the development of cataracts. Still, one thing appears certain: addressing cataracts can have meaningful effects on a person’s quality of life, mobility, and emotional state and add to their ability to remain independent.