By Asher Jaxon
A cataract is an eye injury that affects the crystalline lens, the eye’s natural lens responsible for focusing light. The lens becomes opaque, and light does not reach the retina sufficiently, impairing the quality of vision. Over time, cataracts can get worse to the point of causing blindness but you can take cataract test online.
What Types Of Cataracts?
Senile: arises as a result of aging, when the lens loses its characteristics (transparency and mobility).
Congenital: is present in the bearer since birth. It usually occurs when the pregnant woman suffers from rubella in early pregnancy.
Inflammatory: caused by intraocular inflammation. Pain, redness, visual fatigue, and sensitivity to light can be signs that something is not right.
Metabolic: caused by metabolism changes such as diabetes, high cholesterol, liver disease, and hormonal problems.
Traumatic: resulting from physical aggression, major falls, or car accidents that injure the lens.
Medication: arises from the abusive use of some medications
What Are The Symptoms Of Cataracts?
- Loss of sharpness and visual acuity
- Feeling of blurred or blurred vision
- Continuous change in the degree of refraction
- Greater sensitivity to light
What Causes Cataracts?
The main risk factors for developing the disease are:
- Aging
- Diabetes
- smoking
- Alcoholism
- Frequent use of corticosteroids
- Exposure to UVB rays
- Eye diseases such as Uveitis and Glaucoma
What Are The Treatments For Cataracts?
The only treatment for cataracts is surgery, which must be done exclusively by an ophthalmologist.
What Is Cataract Surgery Like?
1- Topical anesthesia (only eye drops)
2- The crystalline lens is removed by phacoemulsification – a device crushes and aspirates the natural lens of the diseased eye; this modern technique requires minimal cuts and sutures.
3- The procedure replaces the crystalline lens with an artificial lens (intraocular), which causes the patient to regain visual clarity.
Cataract surgery at discover vision for example is quick but requires post-operative care like any other intervention. In general, when there are no complications, the improvement in vision is noticed quickly.
What Are The Risks Of Cataract Surgery?
Modernizing the surgical technique used in treating cataracts has made the procedure safer every day. However, although small, the risks exist since the intervention takes place in a very sensitive and fragile part of the human body. Problems such as retinal detachment increased intraocular pressure, and damage to the corneal endothelium may occur.
Can Cataracts Be Prevented?
It is not possible to prevent cataracts due to genetic predisposition or aging. The other types, however, are avoidable with some precautions:
- Do not use eye drops or any medication without indication
- Keep diabetes under control
- Avoid cigarettes and alcohol
- Wear sunglasses with reliable lenses
- Look for an ophthalmologist as soon as possible in cases of eye trauma or inflammation.
