Cataract is a disease of the eye where the lens loses its transparency and becomes opaque or cloudy resulting in blurred vision or blindness. Cataract is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
What are the causes of cataract?
Cataract is caused by changes in the composition of the lens. From the diagram below you can see the structure of a normal eye and locate the parts of the eye including lens.
In normal vision, the transparent lens let the light travel through it, which falls on the retina. This, in cooperation with the optic nerve and the brain, produces the image of the object. This is prevented in cataract.
The lens has a central region called nucleus, surrounded by another region called cortex. Both nucleus and cortex are enclosed by a capsule. The lens is mainly composed of water and proteins. These proteins are arranged a specific pattern, which is essential for it to remain transparent and allow light to pass through.
As we age, these specific arrangements of protein undergo change and the transparency of the lens is lost. The lens becomes opaque leading to cataract. This is called age-related cataract or primary cataract.
In cataract, the lens loses its transparency and becomes cloudy or opaque. This prevents the passage of light through the lens and patients eventually become blind. Cataract is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
Secondary cataract, as the name indicates, is the result of other conditions, for example diseases such as untreated diabetes, uveitis (inflammation of the uvea), or iritis (inflammation of the iris of the eye) or injuries to the eyes. There are many genetic conditions that may lead to cataract.
Are there different types of cataract?
Yes. There are different types of cataracts, depending on their location in the lens. If the cataract occurs in the nucleus of the eye, then it is called nuclear cataract. If the cataract occurs in the cortex, then it is called cortical cataract. If the cataract occurs in the capsule, then obviously, it is called capsular or sub-capsular cataract. There are different variations of these three types, for examples, multiple areas of the lens can have cataract simultaneously.
What are the symptoms of cataract?
The symptoms of cataract develop slowly. Some of the symptoms of cataract may include blurred or foggy vision, difficulty in seeing at night, seeing halos around lights, fading of colors, double vision and sudden changes prescription glasses.
What are the treatment options and medications for cataract?
Always consult a qualified health care professional to make a proper diagnosis and let him or her decide appropriate treatment and medication for cataract.
There are no medications that can cure cataract. There are certain eye drops that dilates the pupil and let more light pass through. However, this does not cure cataract. For advanced cataract, surgery is performed. In short, cataract surgery involves the removal of the opaque or cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
What are the causes of cataract?
Cataract is caused by changes in the composition of the lens. From the diagram below you can see the structure of a normal eye and locate the parts of the eye including lens.
In normal vision, the transparent lens let the light travel through it, which falls on the retina. This, in cooperation with the optic nerve and the brain, produces the image of the object. This is prevented in cataract.
The lens has a central region called nucleus, surrounded by another region called cortex. Both nucleus and cortex are enclosed by a capsule. The lens is mainly composed of water and proteins. These proteins are arranged a specific pattern, which is essential for it to remain transparent and allow light to pass through.
As we age, these specific arrangements of protein undergo change and the transparency of the lens is lost. The lens becomes opaque leading to cataract. This is called age-related cataract or primary cataract.
In cataract, the lens loses its transparency and becomes cloudy or opaque. This prevents the passage of light through the lens and patients eventually become blind. Cataract is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
Secondary cataract, as the name indicates, is the result of other conditions, for example diseases such as untreated diabetes, uveitis (inflammation of the uvea), or iritis (inflammation of the iris of the eye) or injuries to the eyes. There are many genetic conditions that may lead to cataract.
Are there different types of cataract?
Yes. There are different types of cataracts, depending on their location in the lens. If the cataract occurs in the nucleus of the eye, then it is called nuclear cataract. If the cataract occurs in the cortex, then it is called cortical cataract. If the cataract occurs in the capsule, then obviously, it is called capsular or sub-capsular cataract. There are different variations of these three types, for examples, multiple areas of the lens can have cataract simultaneously.
What are the symptoms of cataract?
The symptoms of cataract develop slowly. Some of the symptoms of cataract may include blurred or foggy vision, difficulty in seeing at night, seeing halos around lights, fading of colors, double vision and sudden changes prescription glasses.
What are the treatment options and medications for cataract?
Always consult a qualified health care professional to make a proper diagnosis and let him or her decide appropriate treatment and medication for cataract.
There are no medications that can cure cataract. There are certain eye drops that dilates the pupil and let more light pass through. However, this does not cure cataract. For advanced cataract, surgery is performed. In short, cataract surgery involves the removal of the opaque or cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
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