Oya, imagine say your eye be like camera wey dey snap picture for your brain. E get lens inside wey dey help you see things clear—sharper than 4K TV! Now, cataract na when dat lens wey dey your eye begin turn cloudy, like say dem pour milk or ogbono soup inside am. E no let light pass well, so your eye go dey see things like say you dey look through dirty window or misty glass. E fit make everything blurry, colors dull, or even make you dey see double-double, like say you don high! 😅

Dis cataract matter no be juju o, e dey happen mostly when pesin don dey old, like when you don cross 60 years. But e fit catch young pesin too if dem get diabetes, or if dem dey smoke like chimney, or even if dem don collect strong injury for eye before. Sunlight wey too strong sef fit join hand cause am, so better wear shades o!

When e start, you fit no notice am o, like silent thief. But as e dey worse, you go see say to read book, drive for night, or even waka without mistake go hard pass WAEC exam. If e reach dat level, no dull—go meet eye doctor sharp-sharp! Dem go check you, and if e bad, dem fit do small surgery wey dem go comot dat cloudy lens, put new one wey go make you see like eagle again. No be big deal, e dey quick like jollof rice wey don done!

So, my guy, if your eye dey do you wayo or you feel say you no dey see well, no dey form boss o. Go check am for hospital. Eye na gold, make you no let cataract come spoil your vibe!

If you want read this condition for English, click here.

If you want learn more about this cataract including the treatment and how much the treatment cost, oya continue to read.

Wetin Be Cataract Blindness?

Cataract na dat kain wahala wey dey happen for your eye when di lens wey dey inside, wey be like di camera glass of your eye, come dey cloudy like say e don get fog. E be like say you dey look through dirty windscreen or frosted glass. Dis thing fit make your vision blur, colours no go sharp again, and e fit even hard to see for night or when light too bright. E no be film wey dey cover your eye o, na inside di eye di wahala dey.

wetin dem dey call cataract for Naija native languages?

• Yoruba (Southwest): For Yoruba land, dem dey call cataract “ìrẹjú” or “ìrẹjú oju”, wey mean like “cloud wey cover eye” or “veil for eye.” E be like say your eye get fog wey no let you see clear. Dem fit also say “oju rirun”, wey be “eye wey dey blur.”
• Igbo (Southeast): For Igbo people, dem dey talk “anya isi” or “anya nkpuru”, wey mean “eye wey blind” or “eye wey get seed/block.” Na di way dem describe di thing wey dey block your vision.
• Hausa (North): For Hausa side, dem call am “dunƙulen ido” or “ƙurƙushewar ido”, wey be like “cloud for eye” or “something wey block eye.” E show say your eye no dey see well because of dat cloudiness.
• Edo (South-South): One post for X talk say for Edo, dem call am “okpagha”. I no too get di full meaning, but e fit be like “eye wey no clear” or something like dat.
• Ibibio/Efik (South-South): For Ibibio or Efik, dem fit say “nkan iko owo”, wey mean “something wey cover eye” or “eye wey get blockage.” Na so dem dey describe am.
• Ijaw (Niger Delta): I no get direct word for Ijaw, but dem fit talk something like “eye wey no see clear”, like how we dey talk for pidgin. Dem no always get one word for medical thing like dis.

Small Notice: For plenty Naija languages, especially di small small ones, dem no get one single word for cataract. Dem go just describe am like “eye wey cloudy” or “eye wey no dey see well.” Or you fit ask your people wey sabi di language well, because sometimes di word fit change for different village or area.

Wetin Dey Cause Cataract Blindness?

Cataract fit happen for plenty reasons. Di main one na when person don dey old—age no dey forgive, e go just scatter di lens small small. But e get odas:

• Sugar sickness (Diabetes): If your sugar level no gree stay one place, e fit spoil di lens.
• Sunlight wey too strong: If you dey always waka for sun without shades, UV rays fit wound your eye.
• Smoking or too much shayo: Cigar and ogogoro no be eye friend o.
• Injury or eye wahala: If your eye don collect better knock before, or you get odas eye palava, cataract fit dey wait for corner.
• Family matter: Sometimes, if your mama or papa get am, e fit dey your blood too.
• Long use of some drugs: Like dem steroids wey some people dey use for bodybuilding or sickness, e fit cause wahala.

How E Dey Feel?

When cataract don enter, you go notice say:

• Your eye vision go dey like say you dey see through smoke or cloud.
• Light go dey scatter for your eye—car headlight or sun go dey too bright, e go dey vex you.
• Colours go dey dull, like say dem don wash dem comot.
• You fit dey see double, like say one thing turn two.
• You go dey change glasses tire, but e no go still clear.

Wetin You Fit Do about this Cataract?

No dey fear, my broda! Cataract get cure, and e no too hard. Di best thing na to go meet eye doctor (dem dey call am ophthalmologist). Dem go check your eye wella, and if di cataract don ripe, dem fit do small operation:

• Surgery: Dem go comot dat cloudy lens, put one fine artificial one wey go make you see clear like HD TV. Dis one na small thing for dem, like 30 minutes, you don comot, no wahala.
• 

  Post-Cataract surgery

  Before surgery, dem fit give you new glasses or contact lens to manage am, but if e don too bad, surgery na di way.

• How much be the Cataract Surgery (Cost): For most centres for Naija as at now (July 2025), the cataract surgery day cost anywhere from N150,000 to N500,000 depending on where you go. E dey cheaper for government hospitals and during outreaches, some places dey even do am free of charge.

How to Jasi Di Matter?

To avoid cataract or make am slow down:

• Wear sunglasses wey get UV protection when you dey waka for sun.
• Chop food wey good for eye, like carrot, fish, or dem green leaf wey full of vitamin A and C.
• If you get diabetes, control am well—check your sugar level steady.
• No dey smoke, and reduce dat shayo intake, abeg.
• Go check your eye regular with doctor, even if you feel say you dey see fine.

Wrap-Up:

My people, cataract no be death sentence o! E be like say your eye don dey wear agbada wey too dirty, but with small doctor visit and maybe surgery, you go dey see like eagle again. No dey form “I be strong man,” go check dat eye sharp sharp before e turn wahala. Stay sharp, stay safe, and keep your eye on di prize! 😎 Na so we roll for dis side!

If you wan know more or you get question, holla me via comment below, I dey here!