Cataract: Cause, Symptom and Treatment, Cataract Laser Surgery, Type of Cataract

In cataract clouding the eyes lens diminishes the vision of eye. Eye's lens is made up from water and protein. Due to aging these molecules may combine together to form clouds. The cloud formation in lens may obstruct light from reaching to the retina, which will be translated to the reduced signal to brain and consequently eye vision will be reduced.

Working of Eye

Cornea allows the light to enter into the lens of the eye. Light rays pass through the pupil and then through the transparent substance known as vitreous and enter into the back called retina. The retina acts like a mirror and converts the signals into images.

Cataract can occur after birth or after an eye injury and is generally associated with the aging. Some other risk factors, which may increase the risk of cataract, include a family history or habits of smoking or diabetic.

Symptoms of cataract

Due to aging in the initial stages of cloudiness, cataract may affect a small part of the lens and probably there may not be any vision loss. As there is no pain in the eyes, it is difficult to identify cataract without consulting a doctor. As the cloudiness grows, the following symptoms may occur

• Halos around light.
• Dimmed or blurred vision.
• Double vision.
• Difficulty with vision during night.
• Frequent change in the requirement of glasses for reading.
• Sensitivity to light and glare.

Types of Cataract

A cataract may develop symmetrically in both the eyes, however in certain case it may grow in a single eye also. Cataract may or may not affect entire lens. The lens consists of three layers. Capsule, the outer layer is very thin clear membrane, cortex a clear material is surrounded by capsule and nucleus is the hard center of the lens.

• Nuclear Cataract:

It occurs at the center of the lens. During early stages an improvement in reading vision is notices sometimes, but however as the cataract progresses, the lens may even turn brown causing difficulty in right vision.

• Critical Cataract:

Sometimes whitish opacities are seen at the outer edge of lens cortex. As the cataract grow both distance and near vision get impaired. Sometimes-additional problem such as glare and distortion also occurs.

• Sub capsular Cataract:

A small opaque area near the back of lens is seen under the capsule of the lens. It obstructs the light path from cornea to retina, and as the cataract grows it reduces the vision and causes glare or halos.

Diagnosis and treatment

You will undergo a complete diagnosis and your doctor will decide further cause of action. In mild cases, eyeglasses may help for time being, but the ultimate solution is the cataract surgery. You may be asked to carry out an ultrasound scan of your eye before surgery.

Surgery

• Cataract surgery is widely accepted as a safe and painless solution and the surgery may take up to one hour.
• If you have a cataract in both the eyes, your doctor will do surgery for one eye at a time and after healing the eye will plan for second eye.
• Under a topical anesthesia, the doctor makes a small incision on cornea and removes the lens. Generally two methods for removing lens, known as placoemulsification and extracapsular surgery are widely accepted.
• The doctor replaces the lens with intraocular lens, which is an artificial lens.
• The cornea is closed and after the eye is packed, the patient is observed for 2 to 4 hours in recovery room and thereafter may be allowed to go home.
• Up to six week to two month time is required for healing the eye.
• All recommended medicines and precautions should be taken after surgery.

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