Causes of Cataract

Causes of Cataract

• Age: Most common cause of cataract, affecting people over 60 years old
• Genetics: Family history and inherited disorders can increase the risk of cataract
• Diabetes: High blood sugar levels can cause cataract
• Injury: Eye injury or trauma can cause cataract
• Medications: Prolonged use of steroids and other medications can increase the risk of cataract
• UV radiation: Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause cataract
• Smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of cataract

Symptoms of Cataract

• Blurred vision: Difficulty seeing objects clearly
• Double vision: Seeing two images of a single object
• Sensitivity to light: Glare from lights and difficulty with night driving
• Fading colors: Colors appear less vibrant and faded
• Difficulty reading: Difficulty reading or performing daily tasks
• Eye pain: Mild to severe eye pain

Diagnosis of Cataract

• Visual acuity test: Measures the sharpness of vision
• Dilated eye exam: Examines the retina and optic nerve
• Slit-lamp exam: Examines the front of the eye
• Tonometry: Measures the pressure inside the eye
• Refraction: Measures the prescription of the eye

Treatment Options for Cataract

• Glasses: Corrects blurred vision
• Contact lenses: Corrects blurred vision
• Anti-glare sunglasses: Reduces glare from lights
• Magnifying lenses: Enhances near vision

Surgery for Cataract

• Phacoemulsification: Most common type of cataract surgery, uses ultrasound to break up the cataract
• Extracapsular surgery: Removes the cataract in one piece
• Intracapsular surgery: Removes the cataract and the lens capsule
• Lens implantation: Replaces the natural lens with an artificial lens (IOL)
• Recovery: Typically takes a few weeks to recover from cataract surgery

Causes of Cataract

• Affects people over 60 years old, most common cause of cataract
• Family history and inherited disorders increase the risk
• High blood sugar levels can cause cataract
• Eye injury or trauma can cause cataract
• Prolonged use of steroids and other medications increase the risk
• Prolonged exposure to UV radiation causes cataract
• Smoking increases the risk of cataract

Symptoms of Cataract

• Difficulty seeing objects clearly, blurred vision
• Seeing two images of a single object, double vision
• Glare from lights and difficulty with night driving, sensitivity to light
• Colors appear less vibrant and faded
• Difficulty reading or performing daily tasks
• Mild to severe eye pain

Diagnosis of Cataract

• Measures the sharpness of vision, visual acuity test
• Examines the retina and optic nerve, dilated eye exam
• Examines the front of the eye, slit-lamp exam
• Measures the pressure inside the eye, tonometry
• Measures the prescription of the eye, refraction

Treatment Options for Cataract

• Corrects blurred vision, glasses
• Corrects blurred vision, contact lenses
• Reduces glare from lights, anti-glare sunglasses
• Enhances near vision, magnifying lenses

Surgery for Cataract

• Most common type of cataract surgery, uses ultrasound to break up the cataract, phacoemulsification
• Removes the cataract in one piece, extracapsular surgery
• Removes the cataract and the lens capsule, intracapsular surgery
• Replaces the natural lens with an artificial lens (IOL), lens implantation
• Typically takes a few weeks to recover from cataract surgery, recovery