What is Cataract?

We all have a natural lens in our eyes. This lens helps focus the rays of light that come into our eyes, thus helping us see clearly. Normally this lens is clear. When this lens becomes cloudy, you are said to have cataract.

What causes Cataract?

The most common cause of cataract is aging. After about forty years of age, the natural lens’s proteins start clumping. This causes the light to scatter as it passes through the lens, hence causing hazy vision. In some people, the lens may change to a yellowish brownish colour which then causes your vision to have a brownish tint. Other than aging, the below are some risk factors for cataracts:

• Somebody in the family having cataract
• Certain health conditions like diabetes
• Having had an eye operation, eye injury or radiation on your upper body
• Spending long hours in the sun without protection from UV rays
• Smoking

What are the symptoms of Cataract?

• Blurry vision
• Double vision
• Excess sensitivity to light
• Poor vision at night
• Seeing a halo or a glare around headlights or other strong lights
• Colours do not appear as bright as before
• Frequent changes in spectacle powers

How is Cataract diagnosed?

Slit Lamp examination: Your eye doctor will ask you to sit in front of a special microscope and will examine your cornea (outer transparent layer), iris (coloured part of your eye) and your lens.
Retina examination: Your eye doctor may put in some special eye drops which will help widen the pupil of your eye so that he can see the inside of your eye better. This helps to rule out other eye conditions that may be contributing to your vision loss.
Refraction and Visual Acuity check: Your eye specialist will check how much of your vision has been affected by asking you to read out letters from a chart.
Biometry: Once your cataract specialist has ascertained that you do require cataract surgery, he will advise you to undergo a test called biometry. This test measures various aspects of your eye like eye length, thickness of your lens, thickness of your cornea etc. This will ensure that your cataract surgeon is able to customize your surgery for your individual eye measurements.

What is the treatment for cataract?

In the early stages, your eye specialist may suggest using new spectacle powers or magnifying glasses or better lighting. Cataract treatment mainly includes eye surgery where the natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one. At Drishti Eye Care, we usually advise you to go ahead with cataract surgery when you find that it is becoming difficult to do your routine activities like reading or driving or watching TV.

Clearing few myths about Cataract:

The most common cause of cataract is aging. After about forty years of age, the natural lens’s proteins start clumping. This causes the light to scatter as it passes through the lens, hence causing hazy vision. In some people, the lens may change to a yellowish brownish colour which then causes your vision to have a brownish tint. Other than aging, the below are some risk factors for cataracts:

• Eye drops cannot dissolve cataract.
• Cataract cannot spread from one eye to another.
• Cataract does not only affect old people. Some babies are born with cataract too.
• Usually cataracts develop slowly. Unless your eye doctor specifically advises you, there is no need to rush into a cataract operation.