If you suffer from distorted or blurred vision, it could be a cataract. Cataracts can affect people of all ages, and in fact, by the time they reach the 80, half of all Americans will have had one. Before you panic, let’s explore what cataracts are and what treatments are available.

What Are Cataracts?

A cataract occurs when your eye’s natural lens starts to cloud. The clouding is caused by degenerative changes in the structure of the eye that lead the proteins found in the lens to quickly clump within the lens itself. Cataracts manifest themselves as blurred vision and can occur in both or one eye. Be that as it may, a cataract is not contagious and cannot jump from one eye to the other. Therefore, you can’t spread a cataract by touching one eye, then the other. You also cannot catch cataracts from someone else.

Who Is At Risk?

Many people assume that cataracts are reserved for aging eyes. This is only partially correct. You can get cataracts at any age, although it is typically worse when you are 60 years or older. People who are at risk for cataracts are those who have certain diseases like diabetes or engage in harmful behaviours like smoking or prolonged alcohol abuse. Furthermore, those that are exposed to environmental factors like continued exposure to ultraviolet sunlight, are at risk of developing cataracts. Finally, people who undergo radiation therapy or work with radioactive materials may experience cataracts.

Cataracts And Their Effect On Your Vision

Cataracts develop in stages and may not progress at the same rate depending on the type (we will explore the different types below). Some people see their cataracts developing over the course of several months, while for others it can take years. There are even cases where cataracts do not progress beyond their early stages and create little to no vision problems. However, when the cataract grows, the symptoms will worsen, especially when they are in the later stages.

The clear part of the eye, the lens, is made up of water and protein. The lens is what helps to focus light or an image on the retina (the tissue found at the back of the eye). When light passes through the lens to the retina, it is transformed into nerve signals. These signals are sent to the brain so they can be processed into a image. But, when our lens is cloudy due to a cataract, our brain will process the image as blurry and in turn, this is how we will see it.

Cataracts can also lead to tinting. As we age, our clear lenses will slowly become a brown-yellow color that adds a slight brownish tint to our vision. Some people only experience a small amount of tinting and their vision is not affected. On the other hand, there are others who experience tinting so bad that they can’t identify certain colors such as purple and blue. For example, you may be looking at a glass of grape juice and think it is black in color when in reality, it’s purple.

What Are The Symptoms Of Cataracts?

There are many symptoms of cataracts all of which will affect your vision:

• Blurred/cloudy vision
• Colors appear faded
• You experience a strong glare or see a halo when you look at lights
• Sunlight feels like it is too bright
• Poor/reduced night vision
• Seeing double or multiple images in one or both eyes

You may experience all the symptoms or only one, depending on the severity and type of your cataracts.

Are There Different Types Of Cataracts?

There are four main types of cataracts. Each possesses their own set of symptoms and require different treatments. The four types are: Secondary, Traumatic, Congenital and Radiation.

Secondary Cataract

Often, people who have undergone a successful cataract surgery, experience what is known as a secondary cataract. This usually occurs weeks or months after the surgery is complete. Even though the surgery was considered a success because the person’s vision was restored, it is possible to experience a decline in the time that follows.

During cataract surgery, the lens is removed to allow the surgeon access to the cataract. The surgeon breaks up the cataract and replaces the lens with an IOL (intraocular lens). The posterior part of the lens is left behind with the IOL placed in front of it. However, if the posterior lens clouds, it will create a secondary cataract. Laser surgery is used to correct this defect and restore vision.

Traumatic Cataract

About 2.5 million eye injuries occur every year in the United States. When the eye is subjected to a blunt or penetrating blow, traumatic cataracts can form. Since the lens fibres are disturbed due to the trauma of being hit or permeated, they can become cloudy. The cloudiness stems from fluid from other parts of the eye that enters the lens causing it to swell and whiten. Surgery is used to treat traumatic cataracts.

Congenital Cataract

Congenital cataracts occur in about 0.4% of all births. Not every baby who experiences this type of cataract will need to undergo a removal. Infants that only have a peripheral portion of their lens affected do not require intervention. It is only those with severe cases of cloudy vision that need to have their cataract taken out. Congenital cataracts will appear milky and dense and surgery is usually performed on the infant between the ages six weeks to three months, depending on the severity of the cataract. Youngsters who undergo cataract surgery are often prescribed eyeglasses afterwards since the eyes are still in the stages of development. The prescription may need to be changed as your child gets older to accommodate their growing eyes.

Genetics play a factor in the development of congenital cataracts. In addition, certain syndromes or diseases can lead to this type of cataract. For infants that have congenital cataracts but do not require surgical correction, these cataracts will develop further down the road (although, it can take decades).

Radiation Cataract

If you have undergone radiation therapy or work with materials that contain high traces of radiation, you could develop radiation cataracts. Radiation treatments and materials will not cause cataracts after short-term exposure. It is only after long-term exposure that cataracts will present themselves. For instance, if you undergo repeated radiation treatment for cancer, cataracts are more likely to appear.

These type of cataracts are caused by the effects of radiation. When radiation is used on the body, it attacks divided cells. Although, most of these cells are cancerous there are some in the eyes that are not. The cells of the eye moved towards the rear of the lens before ending up in the center. These cells act as a barrier for light and keep it from traveling to the retina where it can be then processed by the brain. If you have a radiation cataract you will experience a cloudiness to your vision due to the damaged cells that have migrated to the middle of the lens.

In terms of progression, the symptoms of radiation cataracts generally appear 1-2 years following high-dose exposure and several years after low-dose exposure. The treatment for radiation cataracts is that like of the other types and surgical intervention is needed to remove the damaged cells that are clouding the lens.

Cataract Surgery: Lasers and Phaco

Phaco

Phacoemulsification, referred to as phaco, uses smaller incisions to remove cataracts. Using a high-frequency ultrasound device, the cataract is broken down into tiny pieces that the surgeon will then suction out of the eye. Once the suction process is complete, the surgeon will insert a clear, ocular lens (IOL) behind your iris and pupil. This is the same spot where your natural lens is. The cloudiness associated with cataracts will be gone and your vision will be restored.

The procedure takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and you will be required to take time off work to recover. This is not an in-patient surgery and you can leave as soon as your procedure is over. You won’t be able to drive, so arrange for someone to pick you up and take you home. A protective patch or shield will be placed over the eye to ensure it is safe as you recover.

Lasers

Cataract surgery treatment can also involve FDA-approved laser technology that allows surgeons better access to the lens. By creating a corneal incision, the surgeon can get directly to the lens and remove the anterior capsule. Then, the cataract is easily fragmented and broken up so the surgeon can remove it. Laser surgery is especially common to treat secondary cataracts.

Taking Care Of Cataracts In Their Early Stages

Although cataracts are not contagious, they do affect your vision leaving you with cloudy sight. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of cataracts, no matter the type, please contact us. Living with compromised vision is tough, but rest assured we can help.