Cataracts are a common eye condition. For many people, developing cataracts is a normal part of the aging process. A cataract occurs when your eye’s natural lens gets foggy due to protein breakdown, making things appear blurry, fuzzy, or less colored. Cataracts are identified during a full eye test after your eye doctor has ruled out other causes of blurred vision. And, they can be treated by expert eye surgeons.
What are cataracts?
The word cataract refers to a clouding or loss of transparency of the lens, which is typically a crystal clear structure placed behind the pupil and iris that focuses light on the retina in the same way as a camera lens does. As the clouding continues, light has difficulties passing through the lens. This causes dim, distorted, or muddled retinal pictures and impaired vision, much like looking through a dirty window.
There is no way to foresee how quickly a cataract will develop. Some develop slowly over many years, while others advance quickly. Some cataracts reduce distant vision, while others focus on close vision, and yet others impact both.
Currently, there is no medication that can halt or stop the development of a cataract.
Cause of Cataracts
The majority of cataracts appear to be caused by the aging process, and they most commonly affect those over the age of 65. However, cataracts can develop at any age. The extremely young are the second most commonly impacted age group. Their cataracts are congenital.
Chronic steroid users (such as those suffering from asthma) and smokers are at a greater risk. Injury, inflammation inside the eye, certain blood chemistry issues, and some medicines can all induce or accelerate cataract formation.
While most cataracts are simply caused by aging, they can also be caused or aggravated by various disorders, such as:
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- A history of eye surgery or trauma.
- Certain drugs
- Spending a significant amount of time in the sun, especially without UV protection
Symptoms of cataracts
Common cataract symptoms include blurred vision, fading colors, difficulty seeing at night, and halos surrounding lights.
Many people have early cataracts but are unaware of them. Early cataracts may impact vision more in particular lighting circumstances, such as strong light or darkness. Early cataract symptoms include glare, halos, and a significant loss of vision while driving at night.
The mere existence of a cataract does not need an eye surgeon. Depending on your visual requirements, a growing cataract may or may not interfere with your typical activities.
Diagnosis of cataracts
Cataracts can be identified using a variety of tests conducted by an ophthalmologist. You can visit a nearby eye hospital to perform these tests which may include the normal ocular exam, which evaluates the patient’s visual acuity, and the slit lamp examination, which checks the front anatomy of the eye. Other examinations, such as the glare test, contrast sensitivity test, prospective visual test, and specular microscopic examination of the cornea, may be conducted, but infrequently.
If you can see well enough to perform most of what you want to do, you probably don’t require surgery. On the other hand, if your reduced vision considerably impairs your lifestyle, surgery may be useful. Surgery is performed by an eye surgeon at any moment and at any age. In most circumstances, it is an elective operation.
Treatment at Drishti Eye Hospital: Cataract Surgery
New surgical procedures enable eye surgeons to remove a cataract at any stage if a considerable vision impairment is present.
Drishti Eye Hospital offers safe cataract treatment in Chandigarh. We have the best eye surgeons who use minimally invasive methods to fix the problem. Also, we provide advanced cataract surgery using the sophisticated PHACOEmulsification (stitchless surgery) technology and foldable IOLs. Schedule an appointment with one of our cataract specialists to discuss your treatment options in detail.
