Cataract
Cataracts are a disease when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and opaque. In general, cataracts develop slowly and are not initially felt to be disturbing. However, over time, cataracts will interfere with vision and make sufferers feel like looking at a foggy window, making it difficult to drive, read, and do daily activities. This eye disease is the leading cause of blindness in the world that can be treated.
Cataract Symptoms
Sufferers can experience several symptoms, for example:
- Blurred vision like fog.
- See circles around the light.
- Double vision.
- Decreased vision at night.
- Glare when looking at car headlights, the sun, or lamps.
- Frequently change the size of glasses.
- The colors around it look faded.
Cataract Risk Factors
There are several factors that can increase the risk of cataracts, including:
- Aging. Aging is the most common cause of lens opacities or cataracts.
- History of trauma. Eye lenses that have experienced trauma, such as sharp material fragments entering the eye, being hit by a ball, fireworks, can cause cataracts to develop more quickly.
- Infection during pregnancy. If the mother has an infection during pregnancy, especially rubella, it can be the main cause of congenital cataracts in the child that is born. Congenital cataracts can occur in one or both of the child’s eyes.
- Taking certain medications over a long period of time, such as corticosteroids and amiodarone, can trigger cataracts.
- People with certain diseases. People with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypokalemia, and atopic dermatitis may be associated with the development of cataracts later in life.
- Smoking and alcohol consumption habits.
- Prolonged exposure to sunlight on the eyes.
- Exposure to toxins or poisons.
- Family history of cataracts.
- History of eye surgery.
Causes of Cataracts
The most common cause of cataracts is due to aging or trauma that causes changes in the eye tissue. The lens of the eye is mostly made up of water and protein. As we age, the lens becomes thicker and less flexible.
This causes protein clumps and reduces the amount of light reaching the retina, a light-sensitive layer located at the back of the eye. This condition eventually causes blurry and dull vision. The lens changes start out as a mild yellow-brown color, but worsen over time.
Some inherited genetic disorders can also cause other health problems that can increase the risk of cataracts. Cataracts can also be caused by other eye conditions, previous eye surgery, or medical conditions such as diabetes. Long-term use of steroid medications can also cause the eye disease to develop.
Cataract Diagnosis
Your doctor will diagnose cataracts by reviewing your medical history and symptoms and performing a thorough eye exam, including:
- Visual field examination.
- Visual acuity test.
- Examination using a tool directed from the side of the eye, to show cloudiness in the eye lens ( shadow test ).
Other additional examinations that can also be performed to diagnose cataracts include:
- A slit lamp examination, which allows the eye doctor to see the structures in the front of your eye.
- Ophthalmoscopic examination of the retina, if abnormalities in other organs in the eye are suspected.
- Applanation tonometry. This test measures the fluid pressure in the eye.
Cataract Treatment
If cataracts aren’t too bothersome, you may just need new glasses to help you see better.
If cataracts cause vision to worsen and make it difficult to carry out daily activities, surgery is a treatment that can be performed to overcome this eye problem.
Cataract surgery is generally safe and does not require hospitalization. There are two types of cataract surgery, namely:
- Small incision cataract surgery ( phacoemulsification ). This surgery is done by making a small incision on the edge of the cornea. Next, the doctor will shine ultrasound waves to destroy the lens and then remove it using a suction device.
- Extracapsular surgery. This surgery requires a larger incision to remove the cloudy lens nucleus. The remaining lens is then removed using a suction device.
In both types of surgery, an artificial lens, also called an intraocular lens, is inserted to replace the original lens. The surgery takes about an hour and is painless. Doctors usually use eye drops to numb the eye and keep the patient conscious during the surgery.
Cataract Complications
In most cases, cataracts will continue to worsen over time, causing vision to decrease. This can make it difficult for sufferers to drive, even endangering safety, as well as the sufferer’s overall quality of life.
If left untreated for a long time, cataracts can often cause total blindness. Untreated cataracts can also become “hyper-mature,” a condition that makes them more difficult to remove and more likely to cause complications of cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery is usually safe and rarely causes complications. However, it is not impossible for complications from cataract surgery to occur, including:
- Eye inflammation. This complication usually occurs when the sufferer has a large or thick cataract.
- Light sensitivity. When this condition persists, it may be due to dryness or inflammation.
- Photopsia, or seeing flashes of light or floaters. This condition occurs when the gel inside the eye separates from the retina. Photopsia is common and usually resolves within a few months.
- Macular edema. This is caused by a buildup of fluid in the macula, the central part of the retina at the back of the eye.
- Ptosis, or drooping eyelid. This complication can occur due to surgical trauma.
- Intraocular lens dislocation. This occurs when a new (intraocular) lens implant is not properly seated in the eye’s capsular bag, which holds it in place or is dislocated.
- Torn or detached retina. This is more likely to occur in younger sufferers and is the result of the retina pulling away from the back of the eye.
- Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) or a second cataract, can occur because cataract surgery removes the front part of the lens but leaves the back in place.
Cataract Prevention
Some efforts that can be made to prevent cataracts include:
- Have your eyes checked regularly by an eye specialist.
- Protect your eyes from impact and prolonged exposure to sunlight by using glasses that protect against ultraviolet rays, both UVA and UVB.
- Manage other health problems, such as diabetes, that can increase the risk of cataracts.
- Limit the habit of driving at night.
- Improve lighting in the house.
- Using a magnifying glass when reading.
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption
- Implement a diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.
When to See a Doctor?
If some of the cataract symptoms above appear and become increasingly disturbing or worsen, so that the sufferer feels pain in the eyes or has difficulty carrying out daily activities, it is a good idea to immediately see an eye specialist for further examination and treatment.