A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. Most cataracts are age-related; they happen because of normal changes in your eyes as you get older. Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb your eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with your vision. As the cataract continues to develop, the clouding becomes denser. A cataract scatters and blocks the light as it passes through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching your retina. As a result, your vision becomes blurred. Cataracts can affect your color vision, making some hues look faded. Your vision may gradually take on a brownish or yellowish tinge.
Signs and symptoms of cataracts include:
- Clouded, blurred or dim vision
- Increasing difficulty with vision at night
- Sensitivity to light and glare
- Need for brighter light for reading and other activities
- Seeing “halos” around lights
- Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription
- Fading or yellowing of colors
- Double vision in a single eye
What are the causes?
Most cataracts develop when aging or injury changes the tissue that makes up the eye’s lens. Proteins and fibers in the lens begin to break down, causing vision to become hazy or cloudy.
Some inherited genetic disorders that cause other health problems can increase your risk of cataracts. Cataracts can also be caused by other eye conditions, past eye surgery or medical conditions such as diabetes.
How a cataract forms?
A cataract is a cloudy lens. The lens is positioned behind the colored part of your eye (iris). The lens focuses light that passes into your eye, producing clear, sharp images on the retina — the light-sensitive membrane in the eye that functions like the film in a camera.
As you age, the lenses in your eyes become less flexible, less transparent and thicker. Age-related and other medical conditions cause proteins and fibers within the lenses to break down and clump together, clouding the lenses.
As the cataract continues to develop, the clouding becomes denser. A cataract scatters and blocks the light as it passes through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching your retina. As a result, your vision becomes blurred.
Cataracts generally develop in both eyes, but not always at the same rate. The cataract in one eye may be more advanced than the other, causing a difference in vision between eyes.
Treatment
At first, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help you deal with cataracts. But if impaired vision interferes with your usual activities, you might need cataract surgery. Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe, effective procedure. It involves replacing the cloudy lens inside your eye with an artificial one. The artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, is positioned in the same place as your natural lens. It remains a permanent part of your eye.
Cataract surgery usually takes around 30 minutes and is generally done on an outpatient basis, which means you won’t need to stay in a hospital after the surgery. During cataract surgery, your eye doctor uses a local anesthetic to numb the area around your eye, but you usually stay awake during the procedure.
After the procedure, you’ll have some discomfort for a few days. Healing generally occurs within a few weeks. Before you leave hospital, you’ll be given some eye drops to help your eye heal and prevent infection. It’s important to use your eye drops as instructed by your doctor.
Prevention is possible by following some steps, including protecting the eyes from the sun and wearing prescription glasses or sunglasses that offer UV protection. If the patient is taking medicines that contain corticosteroids, he should inform the doctor so he can replace the medicine with another one. If the patient has diabetes, he should maintain a healthy blood sugar level.
Eating foods rich in antioxidants, like lutein, carotenoids and vitamins A, C, and E, can help protect your cells from damage. Even if you have cataracts, these nutrients slow down cataracts’ growth. Cigarette smoke produces free radicals that harm your eyes, reducing the number of antioxidants in your body. These toxins accumulate and can cause cataracts. Therefore, quitting smoking is fundamental to preventing cataract. The key to preventing cataract blindness is to have regular eye exams. An eye examination can help your optometrist detect cataracts at earlier stages. They can then help you monitor the condition and potentially slow its progression.
