Cataract - Symptoms, Treatments

Cataract - Symptoms, Treatments

Cataracts are nebulization of the lens of the eye. The result is more like a smear grease over the lens of a camera and disrupt / exacerbate normal vision.

Cataracts will affect most people if their lives long enough (long life). These disorders affect 60 percent of people older than 60 years and occurs when the lens of the eye is normally clear aspirin-sized starting to become annoying or foggy vision worsens.

Experts estimate that more than 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed each year with cataracts that require treatment. When there are numbers of parents in America are enlarged, the incidence of cataracts increases. These people often want to continue driving, reading and traveling to activities where clear vision is vital.

Until recently, anyone who developed cataracts and needed surgery faced a procedure that involves pain / pain and often the results are less than satisfactory. Until the late seventies, the doctors raised the foggy lenses in a surgical procedure that requires a hospitalization (hospital stay) five to seven days. After that, patients must wear thick glasses "CocaCola bottle" or contact lenses which are not of them may restore full vision to the previous level.

Today, small need for complex treatment of this kind. Advances in medicine have made cataracts much less worrisome / alarming. Now, the cloudy lens removed surgically and replaced with a plastic intraocular lens ( IOL) in an operation for an hour which often do not require hospitalization.

"Intraocular lenses have revolutionized treatment of cataracts" said Carl Kupfer. MD, director of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Md.. "Planting of the lens is one of the operations of the most fully successful in medicine."

Cataract formation

Most cataracts are caused by a change in chemical composition of the lens. In a small percentage of cases, the chemical changes caused by an inherited enzyme damage or inherited, trauma to the eye, diabetes, or the use of certain drugs, such as the steroid prednisone.

Precisely why cataracts occur with age is unknown, but ultraviolet radiation, especially from the sun, are thought to play a major role in creating chemical changes in the lens is responsible for most cataracts. Experimental evidence suggests that UV radiation can nebulization lens fragments by forming a highly reactive chemicals called "free radicals". This in turn disrupt or interfere with the structure of a soft lens. This type of solar ultraviolet radiation called UVB-the type that causes blistering sunburn and skin cancer - is expected is a major factor because the lens absorbs these rays.

Of course, in a study of 838 Chesapeake Bay fishermen, Hugh Taylor, MD, of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md.., Found a strong association between ultraviolet radiation and cataract formation. Fishermen with the highest exposure to ultraviolet radiation has three times the risk of getting cataracts than those with less exposure to the most. Those with cataracts have 20 percent more exposure to the sun each year of life. Taylor studies suggest that cataracts can prevent by avoiding sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun shines most strongly, and by wearing a wide hat and dark glasses (sunglasses).

A cataract can progress so slowly that a person may not realize that it exists. If cataracts are on the outside periphery of the lens, there may be no recorded change in vision. Nebulization near the center lens, however, usually interfere with clear vision.

Symptoms of Cataracts

The symptoms develop cataracts include double or blurred seeing, sensitivity to light and glare (such as the blazing sun or the lights of the cars), color perception is less clear, and frequent changing of prescription glasses. When cataracts grow worse, glasses stronger no longer improve vision, although hold objects closer to the eye may help to read and work a close (close-up). Pupils, which normally appear black, may undergo color changes are real and appear yellowish or white.

Diagnosing Cataracts

Cataracts typically detected through a medical examination of the eye. The doctor can see abnormal lens using an instrument with a hand-held visionaries (ophthalmoscope). A common test for visual acuity, map / chart letters the eye, may not, however, reflects the nature of vision loss is true, says the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Other tests - which measure the sensitivity to glare, contrast sensitivity, night vision, color vision, and vision or around the middle - to help nail down the diagnosis.

Because most cataracts are related to age develop slowly, many patients-paien may not be aware of losing their sight until it becomes severe / severe. Some cataracts remain small and never require treatment, others grow more rapidly and progressively larger. Only when a cataract seriously interfere with normal activities is time to consider surgery, doctors said. People who depend on their eyes for work, play and other activities may want their cataracts removed earlier than those who do not need more demanding.

Choices (Options) Treatment

During the diagnostic examination, an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) will measure carefully the shape, size and general health of the eye to determine whether an implantation (planting) lenses will be effective. On the number of cases is relatively small where it will not, eye glasses or contact lenses will improve vision following traditional cataract surgery. Glass-glass, when used for many years, has weaknesses. Those with extreme thickness makes them attractive and heavy. Magnification and distortion of vision causes the image objects look more closely and 25 percent greater than they actually. Vision around might be reduced. Contact lenses provide good vision, but many older people have difficulty inserting, removing, and cleaning them.

An IOL is implanted usually are the best replacement. Because planting is placed on or near Posisis origin of the natural lens is removed, restored sight to sight around and good depth perception but with minimal magnification and distortion.

Some experts estimate that about 88 of every 100 people who received IOL will achieve 20/40 vision or better. An individual with 20/40 vision can read letters on an eye letter of map distance of 20 feet, where a person with normal 20/20 vision can read a map from a distance of 40 feet; 20/40 vision is good enough to get a driving license in most states. Among those who do not have other eye diseases, about 94 out of 100 will achieve 20/40 vision.

IOL remains permanently in place, requiring no maintenance or handling, and are not perceived well by the patient or observed by others. Glasses with thin lenses for near or distant vision may still be needed, but the thick glass that is not required. A doctor can determine planting prescriptions (implantation) adequate with an ultrasound device that measures eye length and corneal curvature (corneal curvature). These measurements are combined by computer to calculate the required power of the lens.

Planting procedure (implantation) intraocular lens (IOL)

Standard operating procedures, which includes the cost limit of $ 3,000 to $ 5,000, performed in a hospital or doctor's office. Peering through an operating microscope, the surgeon makes a small incision in the cornea is curved - surface of the eye. Then the foggy lens is cut / released with a thin needle and sucked out, left behind as a whole back wall of a transparent capsule that surrounds the lens.

There are three types of surgery to remove the lens that has a cataract:

1. Extracapsular surgery . Eye surgeon lifted the lens, leaving the rear half of the capsule (covering / coating the outside of the lens).

2. Phacoemulsification (pronounced Fay-co-ee-mul-sih-FIH-CAY-shun). In this type of extracapsular surgery, the surgeon softens the lens with sound waves and lift it through a needle. Half left rear of the lens capsule.

3. Intracapsular surgery . The surgeon removes the entire lens, including the capsule. This method is rarely used.

Surgeons enlarge the original incision, and a new lens - a clear hard plastic discs - then tucked into the back of the iris upwards on the back wall of the capsule. Two arms of the form "c" tiny lenses attached to that eventually became part of the scar into the eye and holds the lens firmly in place. The incision was closed with 7 to 10 stitches are almost invisible from a fine nylon or silk.

In a more recent method, an ultrasonic probe into chunks / incision in the cornea and high-speed vibrations break up the lens into microscopic specks are then removed by suction. A plastic lens is folded quarter-inch in diameter can be inserted through the incision with a scissors-like tool called an injector and positioned behind the pupil to the capsule wall. Once in place, the injector is removed and the lens is open.

Some manufacturers also developed a bifocal IOLs, which may eliminate the need in some patients for prescription glasses after surgery.

The procedure to remove the natural lens and replacing it with a synthetic performed under a local anesthesia or whole with injections performed on the muscles around the eye. The recovery process takes several hours in the hospital; at least those cases, she may need to stay overnight. Patients wear a protective metal in the eye during the night; sunglasses that wrap-around sunglasses are recommended during the day.

What Happens After the Procedure IOL

Within a few days of operation, most of the people back to work. On several visits to the doctor during the first six to eight weeks after surgery, the doctor will examine infections or other complications and match patients on reading glasses. Vision improved significantly in 95 to 98 percent of the cases.

However, results of operations is not always free of anxiety. After planting IOL, a lens capsule nebulization, known as a "secondary cataract", occurs in approximately 40 percent of the cases. To restore vision, a laser pulsed yttrium, aluminum, garnet (YAG) is used to generate a non-thermally hole, with the "optical breakdown." the capsule to permit the normal passage of the rays on the retina again. This painless procedure takes a few minutes; improvement is usually immediate. Other problems that might occur in a small percentage of patients, including swelling of the cornea, glaucoma, and retinal swelling, which distorts vision.

At the time where more than ever there are people older Americans look forward to the years of their active life in front of them, with clear IOLs offer hope and a better life.

Prevention

Ultraviolet radiation is invisible and can not be felt, but her long-term exposure may be associated with the development of cataracts. Short-term exposure to ultraviolet light is very intense - like when you are on a ski slope - can produce photokeratitis, also called actinic keratopathy or snow blindness. There is even some evidence of ultraviolet radiation may damage the retina of the eye.

In the spring of 1990, a program providing etiquette / new label voluntarily developed by the Sunglass Association of America in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration diharapak available to tell consumers how much UV protection they can expect from black glasses not prescribed.

Labeling program / label voluntarily asked manufacturers to put a label / label on black glasses specification level of protection of two types of ultraviolet rays: ultraviolet A radiation (UVA) is a longer wavelength and ultraviolet B rays ( UVB) a shorter wavelength. Her standards were developed in 1986 by the American National Standards Institute in New York City in consultation with experts and eye care educators, research scientists, industrial, and military agencies and other government agencies. Labeling standards is the only statement that recognized the wealth and achievements of dark glasses.

Categories-categories that describe different levels of minimum protection and are designed to help consumers take the best glasses for the types of activities they have planned:

* Cosmetics: For the sun is not that hard and use around town like going shopping. This will block at least 70 percent of UVB, 20 percent of UVA, and less than 60 percent of visible light.

* General Purpose: To many outdoors activities such as boating, flying, hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing, shore excursions. They can also be used for areas where the snow scene. They will block at least 95 percent of UVB, at least 60 percent of UVA, and from 60 to 92 percent of visible light.

* Special Purpose: For that bright environments such as tropical beaches and ski slopes and for activities like climbing a mountain. They will block at least 99 percent of UVB and 60 percent of UVA, in addition to from 20 to 97 percent of visible light.

The number of visible glare are blocked by dark glasses depending on the darkness of the lenses. The forms are darker than the glasses for a particular purpose intended for a high level description, which forms the lighter can use to situations that are less bright - like skiing on a cloudy day.

In addition, in the category-category, find the actual percentage of solar UV radiation blocked recognized by any particular model of glasses. Larger block, lower the risk of UV damage to eyes.

Thomas Loomis, associate technical director of the American spectacles, offers this advice when buying eyeglasses, sunglasses are not prescribed:

First, determine the purpose, color and fashion / fashion you desire. Once you have made a choice, hold the glasses up to the distance along the arm and look through it at an object with a straight border, such as a window or door frame. Movement glasses slowly through the line. If it seems to sway, sway , the lenses containing an optical damage and should be replaced with another partner.

Since 8 percent of men and and 3 percent of women have a visual impairment, color, make sure the glasses do not distort the colors of traffic signs. Pay for glasses, says Loomis, way out of the store and do your own tests. If they distort colors, they exchanged with another couple.

Cataract - Symptoms, Treatments

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