Cataract, which causes symptoms such as decreased vision quality and color saturation, is a health problem that significantly reduces the quality of life of the person. In this eye disease, which can be defined as the dulling of the lens of the eye, the space in the front of the lens is filled with eye fluid.
What is a Cataract?
The colored part of the eye is defined as the iris. The lens, also known as the lens, is located in the posterior layer of the iris. The lens, which focuses by adjusting the light entering the eye, ensures that images with clear and natural colors are produced in the layer of cells and nerve fibers that are sensitive to light and color, known as the retina.
The eye is among the organs most affected by time. Depending on age, the lens of the eye becomes dull and hardened. In this situation, which also causes the lens to lose its flexibility, yellow and brown coloration occurs on the lens, which lacks vessels and nerves.
Due to the opaqueness or blurring of the lens, the light cannot enter the retina sufficiently. As a result, the clarity of vision and the saturation of the colors seen by the person decrease. In cataract disease, which can occur in both eyes, one eye is usually more affected than the other. Cataract, which occurs at a rate of 90% due to old age, can also be seen due to some eye diseases, systemic diseases, traumas and drug use.
Cataract, which is quite common in advanced ages, starts to appear in the age range of 55 to 60 years. This situation, which starts with a slight dulling and hardening on the lens; It causes symptoms such as a decrease in the person's vision quality, not seeing colors as vividly as before, and being uncomfortable with intense light.
As the age progresses, the weight and thickness of the lens also change. A new layer begins to form around the lens. This situation, which causes the lens to jam, also leads to dirty yellow and brown stains on the lens. Cataract, also known as axus or blindfold among the people, can also occur due to diabetes, eye injury, systemic diseases, drug use.
What are the Types of Cataract?
Cataract t is classified into four different groups:
- Cataract Associated with Age: This type of cataract, which is the most common type in the community and occurs with advancing age, increases with age. Approximately 50% of people aged 50 to 59 years, and almost all people aged 80 and older have cataracts, albeit mild.
- Congenital (Congenital) Cataract: This type of cataract is seen as different pupil colors of babies or strabismus. If the congenital cataract affects the baby's vision, it should be operated quickly. In congenital cataract surgeries, lens implantation is not performed because the physical development of the eye is not completed.
- Secondary Cataract: Secondary cataract, seen in people who have had a previous cataract operation, is caused by the loss of function of the capsule behind the lens. This situation, which is mostly caused by surgical complications, can also be seen due to diabetes, uveitis and rheumatic diseases. .
Cataract Causes?
The lens, located at the back of the iris, consists of proteins called crystalline. Protein fragments accumulate in the anterior part of the eye lens due to the chemical changes occurring in crystalline proteins and the breakdown of proteins (proteolytic decomposition). In this case, which can also be defined as the accumulation of eye fluid, dulling occurs on the lens surface. Depending on the matting, the amount of light reaching the eye from the light source decreases. This causes enough light and color to fall on the retina, causing vision problems in the person. Symptoms such as redness, watering or pain in the eyes are not seen in cataract disease.
What are the Symptoms of Cataract?
Congenital cataract symptoms seen in newborn babies are characterized by different colored pupils and/or the presence of strabismus. . Cataract, which is mostly seen due to advancing age, does not show any noticeable symptoms in the initial period. However, with the advancing age, the fogging of the lens, or in other words, dulling begins to increase. Outside In the presence of cataract, which can also be noticed from the eye, a dirty yellow or brown stain is seen in the eye lens of the person.
This situation, which causes the person's visual clarity to deteriorate and the vision to become blurry and hazy, can also lead to spots in areas where the person cannot see clearly in some cases. In the presence of cataract, which is also characterized by a decrease in color saturation, the colors in the person's vision are paler and less sharp. In twilight and pitch dark, halos can be seen around strong light sources such as car headlights or streetlights. Other symptoms of cataract can be listed as follows:
- Deterioration of far and near vision,
- Sensitivity to light,
- Deterioration of depth perception,
- Double vision ,
- Deterioration of night vision,
- Different vision of light,
- Fading of primary and secondary colors,
- Inability to choose colors,
- Difficulty of driving,
- Difficulty of reading,
- Frequent changes in the number of glasses,
- Increased or decreased need for glasses,
- Eyestrain,
- Headache.
How to Treat Cataracts?
Although cataract is mostly associated with old age, it can also be seen in young people. Some systemic diseases such as diabetes, especially high myopia, high blood pressure, long-term use of cortisone-containing drugs, long exposure to sunlight, alcohol and cigarette use, obesity and some drugs used for balancing cholesterol are among the factors that increase the risk of cataract formation. .
Cataract, which can be detected in the early period during routine eye checks, can be treated even if it does not cause discomfort in the initial period. There is no medicated treatment for cataracts. The only treatment method is surgery. Approximately one hour before the cataract surgery, which is performed without needle and pain, eye drops are applied to the patient's eyes. Thanks to this drop, which allows the pupil to grow, the operation is performed more easily. Today, operations performed with phacoemulsification (FAKO) surgery are known as laser operation among the people.
With an ultrasonic hand device, the lens causing the visual defect is fragmented and then these parts are aspirated and removed from the eye. is laundered. Then the operation is completed by placing an artificial monofocal or multifocal lens on the eye. Thanks to cataract surgery, distance and near vision defects are also removed. After the cataract surgery, which takes about half an hour, the person is discharged with the recommendation of using eye drops for 3-4 weeks. On the next day of the operation, the person is called for control and the condition of the eye is examined. The patient does not need to follow a certain diet after the operation.
It is extremely important that the eye is not rubbed and that the person is not in smoky, dusty, dirty and windy areas. During the first week after the operation, water and soap should not be spilled into the eyes. It is important to wear sunglasses outdoors and not to apply cream-like cosmetic products around the eyes. Mild blurred vision may occur due to the use of eye drops after surgery. However, this complaint completely disappears from the second or third day following the operation. After successfully completed cataract surgery, the probability of developing cataracts again is extremely low.
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