NEW research has shown that local people are confused about cataracts.

One in three of us will suffer with cataracts at some point and while treatment is readily available and hugely successful, new research shows there are many myths surrounding the condition.

In a survey of Southampton adults who wear glasses and/or contact lenses, four in ten admitted they did not know if a cataract can be repaired, while one fifth mistakenly think it can only be removed once ‘ripe’.

The research for Optegra Eye Hospital Hampshire, with 1,200 adults that wear glasses or contact lenses, by Censuswide, also revealed that more than 40 percent think cataract surgery means an overnight stay in hospital. In fact it is a brief procedure, completed as a day case.

And worryingly, less than four in ten local adults realise that smoking increases the likelihood of developing a cataract.

According to Southampton adults, the main symptoms of cataract are blurred vision (according to 61 percent), difficulty to see in dim or bright light (say 40 percent), colours look faded or less clear (34%) and possible double vision (say 26 percent).

Yet only 21 percent realised it can cause headaches, and just one in ten knew cataracts can cause colour blindness.

Almost half of adults think the eye has to be removed – this is not even possible!

"Cataracts form over time as the natural lens of the eye ages and ‘clouds’ and leaves you with cloudy or blurred vision, faded colours, particularly poor vision at night, and problems with bright lights, as drivers complain of glare from other cars," says Robert Morris, consultant eye surgeon at Optegra Eye Hospital Hampshire

"Many people do not realize they have cataracts initially as it only affects part of the lens, but over time the cataract gets larger and your lens becomes more and more cloudy.

"The only treatment is an operation, and cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure, with over 330,000 cases performed each year in England alone.

"The procedure is carried out under local aesthetic and as a day case – there is no need to stay in hospital overnight. The eye is numbed and the cloudy lens removed. A new, artificial lens is then inserted, called an intraocular lens (IOL).

"There is also an option to ‘upgrade’ to a multi-focal lens, which may mean that you can also see without the glasses or contacts that you may have depended on so far. The lens is tailored to your personal prescription and visual requirements – for example, a keen golfer has different requirements to someone who knits or sews for a hobby.

"Without treatment, severe cataracts can lead to loss of sight. Globally, 20 million people are blind due to cataracts."