When the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy this condition is called a cataract. People having cataracts, look at things just like looking through fogged-up or frosty windows from their cloudy lens. It would be difficult to drive a car, see expressions, and difficult to read due to clouded vision. The majority of cataracts grow slowly and do not affect your vision at first. But over time, the vision can inevitably be interfered with by cataracts.

Cataracts can be handled with stronger lighting and eyeglasses at first. But you will require cataract surgery if blurred vision interferes with your daily activities. Fortunately, cataract surgery is a secure, successful procedure in general¹.

 

What causes a cataract?

The eye lens is made up of proteins and water. With the increasing age, the protein of the eye breaks down and hangs around in your eye. Your eyesight becomes cloudy or unclear due to lingering proteins that cause lens clouding. This is also an indication of a normal aging process. 

The following things can increase the cataract formation, such as 

• Common steroidal medicines that used to treat lupus and arthritis.
• Diabetes 
• Phenothiazine drugs including chlorpromazine that are helpful in treating conditions like bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. 
• Eye injuries and eye surgery 
• Treatment with radiation to your upper body.
• Excessive exposure to sun or sunlight without protecting eyes like sunglasses. 

 

What are the symptoms of a cataract?

The common aging processing will lead to the development of a cataract. With the passage of time, the cataract will cause the following symptoms.  

• Filmy, cloudy, blurry, and foggy vision.
• Eyes become sensitive to headlights, lamps, and bright sunlight. 
• Glare (seeing a halo around light) with oncoming headlights at night. 
• Sudden nearsightedness or prescription changes in glasses.
• Double vision. 
• The requirement of bright light to read.
• Vision problems at night or difficulty seeing at night.
• Changes in seeing different colors. 

 

Are cataracts painful?

You won't feel pain with a cataract or normally they won't hurt you. However, you can feel discomfort as cataracts make your eyes more sensitive to bright light (sunlight)². 

 

Types of Cataracts

There are different types of cataracts. They’re classified based on where and how they develop in your eye.

Cataracts are of different types. The classification of cataracts depends on how they develop in your eye and their location. 

• Nuclear cataracts lead to the yellowing of the center or nucleus and form in the middle of the lens. 
• Cortical cataracts form around the nucleus edge and are wedge-shaped. 
• Posterior capsular affects the back of the lens and is developed more quickly than other two types. 
• Congenital cataracts are less common than age-related cataracts. They are mostly present at birth or form during a baby's first year. 

Diseases or drugs are responsible for secondary cataracts. Glaucoma and diabetes are two disorders that have been related to the development of cataracts. Cataracts may also result from the use of the steroid prednisone and other drugs.

After an injury to the eye, traumatic cataracts form, but this can take several years to develop.

After a person undergoes radiation treatment for cancer, radiation cataracts may form³.

 

Prevention

According to different research studies, the prevention of cataracts and their progression cannot be restricted or controlled. However, according to doctors, certain methods can be helpful. 

• Routine eye examination. 
• Smoking cessation. 
• Manage your health problems. 
• Protect eyes from sunlight by using sunglasses. 
• Do not drink alcohol. 
• Eat a healthy and balanced diet, such as fruits and vegetables⁴. 

 

Treatment

Treatment for cataracts is dependent on the degree of vision impairment they cause. If a cataract influences vision minimally or not at all, no treatment may be necessary. Patients can be recommended to check their eyes for any changes in their vision and to see their doctor on a regular basis.

In certain conditions, temporary vision enhancement can be offered by modifying the prescription of the eyeglass. Anti-glare coatings on eyeglass lenses can also help minimize glare when driving at night. It may be helpful to increase the amount of light used when reading.

When a cataract has advanced to the stage that it is interfering with a person's ability to perform daily activities, surgery may be performed. The lens of the eye is detached and replaced by an artificial lens in cataract surgery. The artificial lens needs no repair and can boost vision dramatically. The normal focusing capacity of a young healthy lens is present in certain artificial lenses. Once a cataract has been replaced, it will not grow back. 

For cataract surgery, two approaches are commonly used. 

 

• Small-incision cataract surgery: Inserting a small probe into the eye with the help of an incision in the side of the cornea. Emission of ultrasound waves from the probe that soften and break up a small probe into the eye. This process is known as phacoemulsification. 
• Extracapsular surgery necessarily involves a much wider incision in the cornea in order to remove the lens center in one piece. The normal lens is replaced by an intraocular lens, which is a transparent plastic lens (IOL). When an IOL cannot be inserted due to other eye conditions, contact lenses and, in some cases, eyeglasses can be used to correct vision.
   

As with any surgery, cataract surgery has risks from infection and bleeding. Cataract surgery also slightly increases the risk of retinal detachment. It is important to discuss the benefits and risks of cataract surgery with your eye care providers. Other eye conditions may increase the need for cataract surgery or prevent a person from being a cataract surgery candidate⁵.

 

References

1. Cataracts. [internet]. [cited 2021 February 22]; Available from  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790
2. Cataracts. [internet]. [cited 2021 February 22]; Available from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8589-cataracts
3. Cataracts. [internet]. [cited 2021 February 22]; Available from  https://www.healthline.com/health/cataract#types
4. Cataracts. [internet]. [cited 2021 February 22]; Available from  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790
5. Cataracts. [internet]. [cited 2021 February 22]; Available from  https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/cataract?sso=y

 

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