Cataract definition diagnosis & types
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Cataract definition
A cataract is a vision-affected clouding of the lens of the eye. The majority of cataracts are related to ageing. Globally, it is the major cause of blindness, but in many ways, access to care and the quality of results is still limited. In general, cataracts affect both eyes, but not equally.
Types of cataract
Types of cataract may include 1, Nuclear 2, Cortical 3, A posterior subcapsular cataracts
1, Nuclear cataract, deep in the middle of the lens, a nuclear cataract form which eventually allows the centre to turn yellow or brown. This further clouds the vision and the most common type.
2, A cortical cataract is identified by a wedge-shaped, whitish stripe that appears across the edge of the cortex of the eye.
3, A posterior subcapsular cataract at the back of the lens, right in the light portion, a posterior subcapsular cataract develops. This form can develop quickly and have a more rapid effect on vision than any of the other two types.
How a cataract can affect your vision?
So first you need to know about the structure of the eye. The lens is translucent and is behind the pupil and the iris.
It acts a lot likes a camera lens, concentrating light, or an image, on the retina. The light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye is the retina.
When the lighting or image reaches the retina, this is transformed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.
Apart from focusing light on the retina, the lens also adjusts the focus of the vision, helping us easily see objects both closer and far away. For the retina, to obtain a sharp image, the lens must be clear.
The lens is composed of mainly protein and water. The protein is arranged exactly in a process that enables light without distortion to move into it. But as we age, proteins clump together in the lens to cause a cataract.
The protein can clump together at first, clouding a small area of the lens. The clouds-grow in size and number throughout the period, clouding more of the lens. If the lens is cloudy due to cataracts, the picture you see will be blurred and the colours can fade.
Cataract causes
Many people above the age of 60 have a certain degree of lens opacity. The risks of cataract forming are raised by the smoking of the cigarette and alcohol.
Generally, cataracts are bilateral. Distressing; or secondary to autoimmune disease (diabetes, myotonic dystrophy, atopic dermatitis), autoimmune or inhaled corticosteroid therapy, or uveitis; but age-related cataract is by far the most prominent type.
They may be congenital (due to intrauterine infections such as rubella and CMV, or inborn metabolism errors such as galactosemia). Trauma or injuries that penetrate the eye are also causes of the cataract.
No dietary modification to prevent or prolong the formation of age-related cataracts has been reported.
Cataract symptoms
A persistent blurring of sight is the primary symptom. Glare can also occur, particularly in bright light or while driving at night; change of focus, notably development of nearsightedness; and monocular double vision.
A cataract can be seen by a dilated pupil through an ophthalmoscope or slit lamp, also in the early stages. The retina can become gradually more difficult to imagine as the cataract develops until the reflection of the fundus is eventually missing and the pupil is white.
Cataract diagnosis
During a regular eye exam, cataracts are relatively easy to detect. It is important that the doctor examine the whole eye for proof of any other illness that may affect your vision during cataract diagnosis.
Cataract treatment
In adults, the primary condition for surgery is functional vision impairment. The cataract is normally eliminated by one of the procedures in which the capsule of the posterior lens (extracapsular) persists, thus providing protection for an intraocular prosthetic lens that does not need powerful cataract glasses or contact lenses.
Subsequently, laser therapy can be needed when the posterior capsule opacifies. Lens nucleus ultrasonic fragmentation (phacoemulsification) and foldable intraocular lenses allow cataract surgery to be done without the need for sutures via a small incision, therefore reducing the incidence of postoperative complication and accelerating visual recovery.
The need for both distance and close vision correction is reduced by multifocal and accommodative intraocular lenses. Manual minor incision surgery, in which the lens nucleus is cut intact, is increasingly common in the developing world.
Additional technical complications during surgery, improvements in the optics of the eye with development affecting the option of intraocular lens strength, and treatment of recurrent amblyopia complicated the management of congenital cataract.
Infection rates following cataract surgery have declined significantly in recent years. Due to the mandatory injection of antibiotics into the eye at the completion of the surgery.
When their vision impairment adversely affects their daily lives, patients with cataracts should be referred to an ophthalmologist.
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