Top 10 Causes of Cataracts

The Main Causes of Cataracts that many people ignore and that, with it, only get worse. In addition, a  cataract is an opacity of the lens (the eye’s natural lens ) . For people who have cataracts , their vision is  cloudy, as if they were looking through a fogged or misty window. This clouded vision can make tasks like reading, driving a car, or interpreting people’s expressions more difficult. Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb your vision  from the start. But over time, cataracts will eventually interfere with vision .

At first, brighter lighting and eyeglasses can help with cataracts . But if the impaired vision  interferes with normal activities, cataract surgery is necessary . Fortunately, cataract surgery is often a safe and effective procedure.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cataracts are responsible for 51% of cases of blindness in the world, which represents about 20 million people. As the life expectancy of the world population is increasing, the number of people with cataracts tends to grow. Cataracts are also an important cause of low vision  in developed and developing countries. So, check now  The Top 10 Causes of Cataracts.

Causes of Cataract:  A cataract occurs when the lens inside the eye  becomes cloudy. The most common cause of cataract is senile, that is, the natural aging of the lens throughout life. There is also congenital cataract , in which the baby is born with cataract (a rarer form) and secondary causes such as chronic use of corticosteroids, metabolic diseases, diabetes, uveitis (intraocular inflammation), trauma and excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Things linked to this cloudiness include:

• Aging ( age-related cataract ).
• Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, such as from sunlight, tanning booths or solariums.
• Diabetes, especially when blood sugar levels are above the safe range.
• Uncontrolled disease causes changes in the eye  that can result in cataracts .
• Disease inside the eye , such as glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, or retinal detachment.
• Prolonged use of steroid medications.
• Frequent X-rays or head-focused treatments.
• Family history. A person can inherit the tendency to develop cataracts .
• Vitrectomy (removal of the vitreous gel from the eye ) in people over 50 years of age.
• Eye injury.
• Born with a cataract .

Symptoms of Cataract:  Cataracts most often present as a progressive loss of vision both near and far. This vision loss  can be unilateral or bilateral. The patient may complain of loss of color contrast and frequent change of eyeglasses without improving the quality of vision . Not all cataracts impair vision or affect daily life. For those who do, common symptoms include:

•  cloudy, confused, or hazy vision
• vision  with glare from lamps or the sun
• Difficulty driving at night due to glare from headlights
• Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription
•  double vision
• Improved near vision  that then gets worse
• Difficulty doing daily activities because of vision problems .

Parents need to watch out for signs of cataracts in babies and children:

• The child may not look directly at a point or may not respond to faces or large, colorful objects.
• A child who cannot find small objects when crawling may have cataracts
• The child may protect their eyes more than expected when in bright sunlight. This happens because of the glare reflected in the eyes  caused by a cataract .
• The child’s eyes  may be misaligned and not focused on the same point at the same time (strabismus)
• Affected eyes  may have repetitive wandering movements (nystagmus). This is usually a late sign of cataracts .
• This sign may not develop until the baby is several months old.
• Removing the cataract will likely not correct all of the vision loss at  that point.

Cataract Treatment:  The only treatment for cataract is surgery. The aim of simple, quick surgery, performed under local anesthesia, is to replace the damaged lens with an artificial lens that restores lost function. This lens can be of various types and correct various vision problems . It is possible to implant special lenses that make it possible to eliminate distance glasses and, in some cases, near glasses.

The lens can be removed whole or by a technique called phacoemulsification (a device crushes and aspirates the lens). This technique offers the advantage of requiring a smaller cut and, in general, no sutures. Cataract surgery requires post-operative care like any other surgical intervention.

Recommendations :

• Do not use eye drops, especially those containing corticosteroids, without medical advice and respect the deadline determined by the doctor for application of the medication;
• See an eye doctor immediately if you notice any inflammation or trauma to your eye area .