The medical community has warned that cataracts are no longer a disease affecting only the elderly, as the number of young cataract patients continues to rise.
Cataracts are a condition in which the lens becomes cloudy, causing distance vision to gradually decline and producing persistent blurriness, as if looking through fog. Light glare worsens at night in particular, and colors may appear less vivid than before. The condition is so common among older people that 70% of those aged 60 and over and 90% of those aged 70 and over experience it.
The problem is that these symptoms are easily mistaken for presbyopia. Presbyopia is a phenomenon in which nearby text becomes difficult to read, but cataracts differ in that the field of vision itself becomes blurred. If nearby text continues to appear hazy even with reading glasses, or if lights appear to spread out during night driving, cataracts should be suspected.
In particular, the number of cataract patients has recently been rising steadily even among young people in their 30s and 40s. Jung So-hyang, a professor of ophthalmology at the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, told Yonhap News, "The frequency of cataracts rises sharply from one's 50s onward, but recently they are being found in considerable numbers among younger age groups as well."
Jung cited high myopia as a major cause of the increase in cataracts among young people. High myopia, whose prevalence is surging in East Asia, lengthens the eyeball and causes metabolic abnormalities around the lens, making it easier for cataracts to develop at an early age. Habits such as frequently rubbing the eyes due to atopic dermatitis or allergic conjunctivitis, long-term use of steroid preparations, and increased exposure to ultraviolet rays are also cited as risk factors.
The possibility has also been raised that a smartphone-centered digital lifestyle plays a role. While this has not yet been clearly proven through large-scale clinical research, experts analyze that nighttime blue light exposure, prolonged near-focus, and reduced blinking may have combined to lead to the increase in cataracts among young people.
The frequency of cataracts rises sharply from one's 50s onward, and the condition is so common among older people that 70% of those aged 60 and over and 90% of those aged 70 and over experience it. "Senile cataracts" was also the most common cause of hospitalization in Korea last year. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's 2025 statistics on frequent diseases, there were 352,705 senile cataract inpatients last year, the No. 1 cause of hospitalization.
Early screening is the most important step in preventing cataracts. After the age of 40, it is advisable to undergo regular eye examinations once a year to check not only for cataracts but also for glaucoma and retinal diseases. Wearing sunglasses and a hat when going out to block ultraviolet rays, and reducing the habit of rubbing the eyes hard, can also help.
