Where Do Cataracts Come From And How Can You Avoid Them?
Cataracts are becoming more of an issue as the population gets older.
The clouding of the lens of the eye to the point where it impairs vision is known as a cataract. More than half of all Americans will have cataracts by the age of 80; the majority of cataracts develop as a result of ageing. Nonetheless, traumatic cataracts can develop following an eye injury, secondary cataracts can form after surgery for other ophthalmic diseases like glaucoma, congenital cataracts can develop at birth, and radiation-induced cataracts can also form. Cataracts can affect both eyes or just one.
Cataracts caused by ageing can manifest in two ways. Cloudy or blurry vision is the result of protein clumping in the lens capsule, which reduces light transmission. Another issue is that the normally clear lens can turn yellow or brown, which makes it hard to tell dark blue and black apart.
A number of factors, including ageing, medical conditions like diabetes (which can lead to diabetic retinopathy), lifestyle choices like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and occupational and environmental hazards like sun exposure or radiation exposure, increase the likelihood of cataract development.
Take, for example, a study conducted at the University of Iceland that found commercial airline pilots to be three times more likely to develop cataracts than non-pilots. This is attributed to the ionising cosmic radiation that is present at high altitudes. Typically, the atmosphere acts as a filter, preventing this radiation from reaching Earth. Instead of the more common cortical cataracts—caused by ultraviolet light—the pilots developed nuclear cataracts, which form in the lens's gelatinous interior. While the study did suggest wearing sunglasses in the cockpit to block out sunlight and avoid harmful UV rays, it did not address the underlying issue of radiation exposure at high altitudes.
Common symptoms of cataracts include cloudy or blurred vision, difficulty seeing colours, glare or haloes around lights, difficulty seeing at night, double vision, or frequent changes to the patient's eyeglass prescription. A routine eye exam is the best way to detect cataracts. Cataracts aren't the only medical condition that can cause some of these symptoms.
Preliminary cataract symptoms may be alleviated with stronger eyeglasses, increased illumination, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses. On the other hand, as cataract development continues, it can severely hinder regular tasks. Presently, the sole option for effective treatment is surgical removal of the clouded natural lens and replacement with a synthetic one. Although cataract surgery improves vision for 90% of patients, secondary eye conditions like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration impact vision for many older cataract patients.
To get rid of cataracts, surgeons use one of two methods. Phacoemulsification, often known as "small incision cataract surgery," involves making a tiny incision in the cornea and then using an ultrasonic probe to break up the diseased lens before suctioning it out. In the less common extracapsular procedure, the surgeon creates a longer incision along the cornea's side, separates the lens's core, and then suctions out the remaining pieces. Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are artificial lenses that are implanted into the eye after the natural lens is removed. Typically, patients undergo the procedure as outpatients while under the influence of sedation and a local anaesthetic.
Although most patients have a smooth experience with cataract surgery, a small number of patients do experience complications like infection, bleeding, and retinal detachment. Severe myopia and other co-occurring eye disorders raise the risk. The patient can choose to disregard the medical emergency that is retinal detachment due to the lack of pain it causes. Immediate evaluation for retinal detachment is necessary in postoperative patients experiencing "floaters" or light flashes, as prompt treatment can avert vision loss.
Everybody can take advantage of dietary precautions that prevent cataracts. Women who took vitamin C supplements containing 250 to 500 mg daily for ten years or longer had a 45 percent lower risk of developing cataracts requiring surgery, according to a nutrition and disease study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health on 50,828 nurses. Vitamin A is also important; the same research indicated that women who consumed the most vitamin A and beta-carotene had a 39% lower risk. A separate study indicated that the risk of developing cataracts was half for those with the highest blood levels of vitamin E compared to those with the lowest, and a third study indicated that taking 400 mg of vitamin E daily reduced cataract formation by 50%. Supplementing your diet with vegetables like kale and spinach, which contain lutein and zeaxanthin, can supposedly help keep you healthy. Vitamin formulas that protect the eyes often include trace minerals like zinc and selenium, which are necessary for the activity of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase.
