Cataracts are clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. There is a lens (lens) in the eye that we all have from birth. Lens and lens are known by different names among the people and in medical language, but both express the same tissue. The lens inside our eye changes its shape, allowing the eye to see clearly over distances. In other words, it ensures that the visual cells are sent clearly to the retina, to create clear images of objects at various distances. As long as the image from the lens is blurred, the image carried from the retina will also be blurry. Even though the other layers of the eye are perfectly healthy, only the clouding of the lens prevents the person from seeing.
For people with cataracts, the world they see is a bit like looking through a frosted or foggy window. Blurred vision caused by cataracts can make it difficult to read, drive (especially at night), or see the expression on a friend's face.
Most cataracts develop slowly and do not impair your early vision. However, over time, cataracts eventually affect your vision and change your quality of life.
The factors that increase your risk of cataract include:
CAUSES OF CATARACT
There are some building blocks inside our lens, the most important of which are: The important ones are proteins and water. Cataracts start when proteins in the eye form clumps or undergo structural changes that prevent the lens from sending clear images to the retina. As the water content of the lens decreases, the amount of water-insoluble proteins increases with age or due to the medical reasons I will list below. The lens hardens, its flexibility and transparency decrease. The decrease in the transparency of the lens with age is actually part of the normal aging process.
As the cataract continues to develop, the clouding intensifies and includes a larger portion of the lens. A cataract disintegrates as the image passes through the lens, preventing the image from reaching your retina. As a result, your vision becomes blurred.
Cataracts usually develop in both eyes, but not equally. A cataract in one eye may be more advanced than the other and cause a difference in vision between eyes
Factors that increase your risk of cataracts include:
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Advancing age
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Trauma
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Diabetes
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Excessive exposure to sunlight
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Smoking
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Obesity
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High blood pressure
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Previous eye injury or inflammation
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Previous eye surgery
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Prolonged use of corticosteroid drugs use
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Radiotherapy
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Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
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Cataract of old age The cause is complex and still not fully elucidated. The weight and thickness of the lens increase with age and its adaptability decreases.
SYMPTOMS OF CATARACT
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Cataract and The development of symptoms is usually a slow process.
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Blurred vision; At first, you may not be aware of any vision loss because the blurring of your vision caused by a cataract affects only a small part of the lens of the eye. As the cataract progresses, it causes your lens to become more cloudy and distorts the image passing through the lens. This can lead to more specific complaints. First of all, your far vision and then your near vision deteriorate. Here, there is a situation that generally misleads patients; With the development of cataract, myopia increases and the patient may begin to see his relatives better for a short time than before. However, with the progression of the cataract, both distance and near vision deteriorate significantly.
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Changes in color vision: patients generally see colors as paler and yellowish, and the first thing patients describe after surgery is that the colors are brightened.
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For reading and other activities, the person needs brighter light. The person with a cataract needs more light than before, because less light passes through the lens
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Problems with seeing in bright light (car lights at night). Cataract areas inside the lens are not the same throughout the lens and undergo different refraction as light passes through blurred and transparent areas, which can cause glare as well in lights. causes squeezing. Also, the person complains of seeing "halos" around lights
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No pain. The lens inside our eye has a veinless and nerveless structure, so there is no pain during the development of cataract.
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Frequent changes in eyeglasses or contact lens prescription
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Double vision in one eye
When to see a doctor
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If you notice any change in your vision, you may experience double vision, blurred lights. Make an appointment for an eye examination.
TYPES OF CATARACTS
Cataracts are examined under 3 headings depending on age
Childhood Cataract: They are cataracts that can occur in children of all ages from birth. It occurs with the deterioration of the balance of water and proteins in the above-mentioned lens from birth. These cataracts may be due to an infection or trauma in the womb, or they may be genetic.
Middle-aged Cataract: It is the early period cataracts that occur due to intraocular infections, trauma, drugs used or some systemic diseases.
Cataract of old age: It is the most common type of cataract. It occurs as a natural process of aging
DIAGNOSE OF CATARACTS
Your doctor will perform a comprehensive eye exam to check for cataracts and evaluate your vision.
The first stage is a vision test to check your vision at different distances. This test evaluates the acuity and clarity of your vision. Each eye is individually tested for its ability to see letters of different sizes.
Biomicroscopy examination: Your eye doctor will examine the cornea, iris, lens, and other areas in the front and back of the eye. The biomicroscope, which is a special microscope, makes it easier to detect abnormalities in all layers of the eye.
Your intraocular pressure will be measured, and it will also be tested for other anomalies such as glaucoma, apart from cataracts. Your doctor may also dilate your pupils to examine your retina and optic nerve. He will put drops in your eyes for k. This makes it easier to check for damage to the optic nerve and retina at the back of your eye.
Other tests your doctor may perform include checking your sensitivity to glare and your perception of colors. It may also include different tests if deemed necessary
CATARACT TREATMENT
According to the clinic and the patient's expectations (social status, occupation, age) in all patients diagnosed with cataract, a single treatment is surgery. There is no drug treatment to prevent cataracts. The progression of the cataract and the time it takes to reach the operating level depend on the personal structural characteristics of each person.
CATARACT SURGERY
During cataract surgery, your eye surgeon will remove the cloudy natural lens of your eye. As I explained at the beginning, since the natural lens of the person allows the objects to be seen clearly and the objects at different distances to be focused, an artificial lens will need to be replaced when the blurred lens that has lost its function is removed. This new lens is called the intraocular lens (or IOL). When you decide to have cataract surgery, your doctor will talk to you about IOLs and how they work.
Cataracts are a very common reason people lose their sight, but it is treatable. You and your eye doctor should discuss your cataract complaints. You can decide together whether you are ready for cataract surgery.
However, there is one exception that surgery is urgent in congenital cataracts. Because if congenital cataracts are not removed between the first 0-7 years of age when the visual system develops, the visual system will get used to seeing as blurred, this will cause lazy eye, and even if a cataract is removed in the future, the child's vision will not improve. may blur. Patients may perceive this as cataract has developed again, but because the intraocular lens is removed and cataract is a disease of the lens, cataract will never develop again. This is usually due to the clouding of the eye capsule, the membrane surrounding the cataract. It is very important for this membrane to stay in place and hold the lens in the first 6 months, but within 6 months the intraocular lens will be removed. Since it sticks to its place, this dice is no longer needed. Your eye doctor may use a yag-laser to open the cloudy capsule and provide clear vision. This is called a capsulotomy. After capsulotomy, the person can regain clear vision.
PREVENTION OF CATARACT;
Nothing is guaranteed to stop cataract formation . Most often, they occur as we age.
However, if you can limit some of the risk factors listed below, you can slow the rate at which cataracts develop.
Wearing sunglasses during the day to reduce your eyes' exposure to the sun's UV radiation .
• Quitting smoking.
• Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen, even with mild physical activity such as walking.
• Coexist like diabetes or hypertension To manage the effects of the conditions and keep these diseases under control.
• To ensure that the developing cataract is diagnosed as early as possible, to have frequent eye examinations in order not to delay the timing of the surgery.
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