CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on the risk factors, symptoms and treatment options of cataract.

A Prevent Blindness report, “Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems” states that while nearly 25.7 million Americans ages 40 and older have cataract, the number of individuals will increase by 50 percent to be 38.5 million by 2032. The report further predicted that by 2050 there will be a 78 percent increase to 45.6 million people with the eye disease.

There are several different types of cataract which include radiation, secondary, age-related, traumatic and congenital, but cataract differs from many eye diseases in that vision loss due to the disease can be restored. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the U.S. and has a 95 percent success rate, Prevent Blindness said in a statement.

“The key to preventing vision loss, whether from cataract or other eye disease, is to have a complete dilated eye exam from an eyecare professional,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

Prevent Blindness offers a free online module on cataract including a PowerPoint presentation with a complete guide as part of its Healthy Eyes Educational Series. Along with this, the National Eye Institute offers resources and information on the disease as well.