At some point in our lives we must have come across a person with this condition. And felt sorry for them, believing that their vision must have become impaired in some sort of way, accompanied with a level of social stigma.

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But do we know exactly, what is Cataract and what causes it? Is it curable and if so, is the treatment expensive? And lastly who are at risk of developing Cataracts?

IN THIS BRIEF BUT STRAIGHT TO THE POINT WRITE UP, ALL THESE IMPORTANT FACTS AND MORE WILL BE DISCUSSED

WHAT IS CATARACT?

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A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. It changes the clarity of the natural lens inside the eye and this gradually leads to degraded visual quality and if not treated, blindness.
The images that are seen by the affected eye appear like a normal eye looking through a fogged-up or frosty window.

• What does a lens do???!
  The lens is the transparent crystalline structure of the front of the eye. It cannot be seen with the naked eye unless it becomes extremely cloudy (like in this case). It's function is to 'focus' unimpeded light on the retina (so for images to be seen, it must be clear) . The retina transmits this light into neurological signals and sends to the brain, which the brain then interprets as vision/images. This adjustment of the lens is known as 'accommodation'.

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Symptoms of Cataract

Different people have different ways of expressing themselves but in general, a person with Cataract will most likely experience the following :

• Double vision in a single eye
• Blurry or dim vision
• The eyes need brighter light than usual to see 'clearly'
• When there is presence of a bright light, the person sees 'halos' around and in the light
• At night there is more difficulty in seeing things a normal eye would see with ease
• Until the real cause is found, the person continuously changes glasses and contact lenses seeking a solution
• Colors start to fade or seem yellowish in color.

CAUSES OF CATARACT

Cataract is usually a gradual process found in some aging folks but a times it could occur rapidly depending on the conditions involved. Let us look at some of the top causes of cataract

• Old age : As one ages, the lenses in the eyes become less and less flexible and transparent due to constant working through out the years. One some occasions, tissues within the lens could begin to break down and clump together, clouding the lens surface.

• Severe trauma or Intrauterine infection: Just like any part of your body, if the eye is seriously hurt or comes an across a pathogen that infects the eye, it could lead to damage. "The lens capsule is disrupted leading to cortical changes and soon total cortical opacity"

• Eye Surgery : Just like trauma or infection, surgeries gone wrong can lead to intraoccular inflammation leading to cataracts even at a young age.

• Congenital cataracts: This occurs at birth or develops during the early stages of growth of the child. In most cases, it require immediate surgery as if left to develop could lead to total loss of sight. This kind of cataract may be due to an intrauterine infection during birth or some form of trauma.

Other causes of cataract include :

• Prolonged exposure to Ultra Violet light

• Diabetes

• Steroids ; topical, oral or inhaled. ( steroids are a class of organic compounds, usually lipids, and could function as a hormone to promote muscle growth.)

• And lastly long use of statins and phenothiazines

How a cataract forms:

As one ages, the lenses in the eye become less flexible much like most parts of the body because of prolonged wear and tear processes over the years. The lenses also become less transparent and more thicker. And so with this stiffness, tissues within the lens become easier to break down and the residues gradually start to clump together, clouding certain areas within the lens.
As the cataract becomes more and more dense it scatters and blocks the light passing through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching the retina, making vision blurred.
This process can be quickened by trauma, scarring, medications and other causes mentioned above.

Prevention of cataracts

prevention of cataracts is not a tedious act, it just involves improving our everyday routine bit and taking extra caution in special cases.

• Wearing protective gear such as sunglasses : This reduces the amount of ultra violet rays that enter the eye reducing one risk of cataract.

• Use of alcohol should be reduced.

• Smoking has never been seen to cause any good effect only harm, and it also causes harm to your eyes which increases chances of cataracts. So quit smoking.

• As much as possible follow the correct treatment plan laid down by your doctor if you are suffering from diabetes or other illnesses that require you to take the medications mentioned above.

• Choose a healthy lifestyle. Eat lots of fruit and green leafy vegetables. Carrots have been found to contain lots of vitamin A which is good for eyes.

• And above all have regular eye examinations : Getting regular eye examinations whether you had a surgery or not could help detect the cataract and other eye problems in their early stages and be treated before it progresses to an total loss of sight.

What is the treatment of Cataract?

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• Recommended glasses with sharp lenses could be used to get clearer vision
• Surgery : This often depends on how much the cataract affects your way of life , if it stops you from reading or performing tasks at night, it may be time to see a doctor to go over the possibilities of surgery. Cataract surgery involoves removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens and remains a permanent part of the eye.
  The surgery is generally safe although, the risk of bleeding and infections are always a risk factor. But if done well, a person will be back to his or her normal self within 8 weeks

IN CONCLUSION

Cataract is a disease that could be gotten from birth, caused by certain diseases, over use of certain medications and careless lifestyle. It is unpleasant in its late stages and could lead to total blindness, it cannot be spread by contact with the person who has it, and is not life threatening and so social stigma against those who do have it should stop.
It is gets better with recommended glasses and can be totally treated with surgery.

REFERENCE :

medscape

mayoclinic

emedicinehealth

Thank you for reading.
AS ALWAYS THIS IS YOUR GIRL @LIZBETHKK