A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear and transparent lens of the eye. It is not a tumor, a new growth of skin or tissue over the eye, but a fogging of the lens itself.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. The vast majority of cataracts are related to age. Most people do not even realize they have a cataract, as cataracts grow very slowly and may not impede vision early on. After a number of years vision will likely be affected. When the cataract has become so dense that it compromises the patient’s quality of life, the patient and ophthalmologist will discuss the appropriate time to remove it. Surgery is the only treatment.
Cataract Causes
Adult cataracts usually develop with advancing age and may run in families. Cataracts develop more quickly in the presence of some environmental factors, such as smoking or exposure to other toxic substances. They may develop at any time after an eye injury. Metabolic diseases such as diabetes also greatly increase the risk for cataracts. Certain medications, such as cortisone, can also accelerate cataract formation.
Other risk factors are: cigarette smoke, air pollution and heavy alcohol consumption. Several studies found lead exposure to be a risk factor. However this research was not extensive enough to determine whether lead can definitely put you at risk, and if so, whether the risk is from a one-time dose at a particular time in life or from chronic exposure over years.
Cataract Symptoms
When you develop a cataract in your eye, your vision slowly becomes more and more misty. You may see haloes around lights, and may find vision worse in bright sunlight. As dazzled as you might be in more easily by bright lights, you might also notice that your color vision may not be as good as it was initially. Of course there is not way really that you might want to change the situation as it is inevitable, there are means to push it even further. Prevention is the best option for your eyes as it is not possible to correct the problems caused by cataracts by just getting a new pair of spectacles.
Cataract Treatment
No treatment is needed for mild cases of cataracts. If they do not interfere with a patient’s vision, they are not treated. If moderate vision problems develop, a stronger eyeglass prescription may be all that is needed. In more serious cataract cases, surgery may be necessary. Surgery is the only procedure available for treating advanced cases of cataracts. Cataract surgery is relatively simple. By the late 1990s, it was the most frequently performed surgery in the United States.
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