Cataract Risk Linked to Climate Change

As climate change drives ozone depletion and increases the level of ultraviolet rays reaching Earth's surface, humans' eyesight will be suffering more and more, AFP reports. UV rays are one of the leading causes of cataracts, which in turn cause 50% of avoidable blindness worldwide. The trend is likely to have the biggest impact in developing nations.

Cataracts are reversible with surgery, but "those who are most at risk of vision loss are people with no access to services to reverse the condition," one expert explains. UV damage can be prevented or diminished by wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats. The biggest contributing factors to cataract risk are old age and smoking, with sun exposure coming in third. (More cataracts stories.)