A cataract is one of the significant eyes problems among aging people today. Recent research showed that over 50 percent of people above the age of 80 had had cataracts. It is usually characterized by the clouding of the eye lens, which is ideally supposed to be clear. This causes a significant difficulty to the eyes because the eyes will not focus light effectively.
Cataracts start developing slowly, and the infected person might not notice this eye problem immediately. Some babies are born with this eye problem due to congenital disabilities. The following people are also vulnerable to the problem, including:
- Smokers
- Heavy alcohol consumers
- People that are constantly exposed to air pollution
- People that are exposed to heavy light rays
- Those with a family history of cataract
Causes of cataract
The human eyes are mainly concentrated with protein and water. As a person gets older, proteins break down and hang around the eyes. The accumulated protein can make the eyes cloudy and make seeing very difficult for the affected person. Cataracts can affect a person’s two eyes, but one eye may be worse than the other. Some factors speed up the formation of a cataract, such as:
STEROIDS
Although sports freaks mostly abuse this drug to help them develop bigger muscles and speed up their healing process after incurring an injury, steroids are medicines that should be consumed at doctor’s prescription.
Steroids are also common medications for people with medical conditions like Lupus, Arthritis, and lots more. These medications are usually prescribed to help the patient suppress the pain and reduce inflammation. Steroids are primarily bound to plasma proteins, which means that too much of them could send protein to the eyes, speeding up the cloudiness over the consumer’s eyes.
EYE INJURIES
Eyes injury could lead to a kind of cataract known as a traumatic cataract. Traumatic cataracts can occur days or months after an eye injury, sometimes even immediately after the injury. Eye injury that leads to traumatic cataracts usually comes with a unique challenge compared to the cataract caused due to aging.
Cataract specialists in Jacksonville, FL, have the skill and experience to ensure that the affected patient gets the necessary and safest treatment to recover from the traumatic experience quickly.
STAYING UNDER THE SUN WITHOUT AN EYE PROTECTION
Due to the depletion of the ozone layer, the sun radiation that comes to the earth’s surface could affect the human body, and one of the most affected organs is the eyes. It is highly recommended that you protect your eyes with any eye protection tool such as sunglasses when you are under the sun for too long.
This eye protection will serve as a barrier between your eyes and the radiation, thereby reducing sun radiation. Although it does not have an immediate effect, Sun radiation is one major cause of cataracts.
Symptoms of eye cataract
Most of the time, cataract is not something you can immediately detect except for traumatic cataracts. However, there are some symptoms you start getting to indicate that your eyes might be affected by cataracts, which include:
- The eyes get too sensitive to bright lights such as sunlight, lamps, or vehicle’s headlights
- Seeing halo lights
- Cloudy, foggy, or blurry vision
- Poor night vision
- Color identification problems
- Sudden nearsightedness
Cataracts don’t usually come with pain, but they can cause the affected person a high level of visual discomfort. Sometimes you might experience some of the above-listed symptoms, and it might not necessarily be cataracts. They might also be caused by stress or other eye problem. Thus, it is best you quickly see an eye specialist when you notice such issues.
The doctor would examine the eyes and run a few tests to help determine if cataracts or other eye-related problems cause the symptoms. If it is a cataract problem, the patient will be referred to a cataract specialist for further examination and necessary treatment.
Cataract treatment
Cataract treatment varies depending on its stage. Most people wait until the problems have gone intense, causing them vision loss before they regard it as a problem. Cataracts can be treated in different stages, and each treatment requires a unique approach. For people with mild cataract situations, they might just be issued prescription glasses or contact lenses to help manage the threat. In contrast, severe cataracts might require cataract surgery in Jacksonville, FL, to get their eyes back to normal.
Cataract surgery helps by removing the clouded lens from the affected eyes and replacing it with an artificial lens implant. The new lens will be personalized to fit your vision requirement without causing your eyes inconveniences and risking the function of the eyes.
There are two different types of cataract surgery, which are:
- Phacoemulsification cataract surgery
- Extracapsular cataract surgery
PHACOEMULSIFICATION CATARACT SURGERY
This is the most common type of cataract surgery. The eye surgeon breaks the lens into pieces, then suctions lens fragments from the affected eye and replaces it with a new plastic lens.
EXTRACAPSULAR CATARACT SURGERY
This is an advanced option where the doctor might choose to remove the eye lens and replace it with a manufactured lens where he feels the cataract might be too dense to break apart easily.
After undergoing cataract surgery, the patient should carry on with his daily activities days later. Although they might experience mild pain or discomfort, the eye specialist might offer a drug prescription to manage the post-surgery pain.
The patient may need to use an eye drop to help prevent infection and control the pressure in the eye. After surgery, it is recommended that the patient should avoid the following:
- Bending over
- Avoiding risking the eyes to further injury
- Lifting heavy things
- ● Rubbing or touching the eyes.
Cataract specialists in Jacksonville, FL, are creating awareness that cataract surgery can be safe and effective. Patients that undergo this surgery can gain up to 90% of their eyes function weeks after surgery. You should also avoid delays and quickly report to a hospital immediately you notice symptoms of cataracts.
