Hacker News Reader

Comment by Qem | Hacker News Reader

Is there some way to prevent cataracts, or is that just another unavoidable fact of ageing, like graying hair.

Wear sunglasses (or your regular uv-protective polycarbonate glasses), even when it’s not real sunny out.

The only thing that's really guaranteed is presbyopia in middle age. The lens will become harder and you will not be able to focus on near objects as well.

I had cataracts when I was 48 and my ophtalmologist told me that everybody gets cataracts but there are factors that make it appear sooner, like smoking (and yes, I am a smoker). But it's more or less unavoidable.

While protein buildup is somewhat natural with aging, my understanding is that e.g. looking into the sun too much (which exposes your eyes to UV light, among other things) exacerbates it.

Cataracts aren’t about age. They happen when the lens loses energy and the water inside it loses structure. Getting real sunlight, eating for metabolism, and avoiding stress and fake blue rich light keeps your eyes clear and alive.

I’ve improved my own eyesight and my wife’s by following these principles. Mainstream medicine would probably give other explanations or just dismiss it altogether.

There's no evidence that "fake blue rich light" at normal exposure levels has any effect, and not for lack of investigation. Ironically, "real sunlight" which you highlight as a benefit is actually a risk factor, given that UV-B and UV-A damage the lens - which is why sunglasses are recommended.

I'd highlight that much of the publicly-perceived "dangers" of blue light are, at best, exaggerations of weak evidence by lens manufacturers who want to upsell blue light blocking spectacles or IOLs. It's not like there's some big medical conspiracy to keep the dangers of normal levels of blue light a secret - the medical manufacturers would love for it to be true so they could sell you more products.

>the water inside it loses structure.

It isn't the water that loses structure (how could it?), but the proteins that constitute the lens material.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com