Cataracts

Normal Eye Cataract

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 What is a Cataract?
An ocular opacity, partial or complete, of one or both
eyes, on or in the lens or capsule, especially an opacity
impairing vision or causing blindness.
The subsequent cloudy appearance of the eye resulted
in the origin of the name cataract

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 Cataract Development
• The lens is made mostly of water and protein.
The protein is normally arranged to let light pass
through and focus on the retina.
Protein clumps together
• Small areas of lens begin to cloud
• Light is blocked from reaching the retina and vision is
impaired

You would be able to see

light and dark and maybe
distinguish large objects
and see movement.
An advanced stage cataract would be something like putting
sheets of wax paper over your glasses

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 Cataract Formation
1. Early Stages – change prescription
2. Late Stages – surgical removal
It is 90% effective for age-related cataracts
– For secondary, traumatic and congenital cataracts
surgery is not always an option

• Once a cataract begins to develop there is

nothing that can be done to prevent its
growth.
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 Types of Cataracts
• There are four different types of cataracts
1. Age-related cataract: Most cataracts are related to
aging
2. Congenital cataracts: Some babies are born with
cataracts or develop them in childhood, often in both
eyes. These can lead to blindness or may not affect
vision at all
3. Secondary cataract: Development in people who
have certain other health issues, such as diabetes
or things such as steroid use
4. Traumatic cataract: cataracts which develop after
an eye injury
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 What causes a Cataract?
• This is a somewhat complicated subject
a) Aging of the lens is caused by oxidation (the formation of
free radicals)

b) Free Radicals: A molecule which has lost an electron and

will do anything to get it back
• They attack the protein of the lens, steal a hydrogen and cause
oxidative damage. This leads to a snowball effect
• The protein then clumps together and the lens begins to cloud,
blocking some light from reaching the retina and clouding
vision

• Speed of oxidation is increased by:

1. Smoking /Alcohol use
2. Diabetes
3. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet sunlight

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 What does a mid-stage cataract
look like?

The type of cataract you have will

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 What does a late-stage cataract
look like?

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 How an early stage cataract
effects vision

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 Symptoms
• Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy or filmy vision
• Changes in the way you see colors
• Problems driving at night because headlights
seem too bright
• Problems with glare from lamps or the sun
• Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription
• Double vision
• Better near vision in those who are farsighted
– As the lens becomes cloudier the optics of the eye
change this may actually allow people who once
needed glasses to be able to read without them

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 Cataract Detection
Eye examination
• Visual acuity test: This eye chart test
measures how well you see at various
distances
• Pupil dilation: the pupil is widened with
eye drops to allow your eye doctor to see
more of the lens and retina and look for
other eye problems
• Tonometry: This is a standard test to
measure fluid pressure inside the eye
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 How are cataracts treated?
• For early cataracts
– Vision may be improved by:
• Using different eyeglasses
• Magnifying lenses
• Stronger lighting
– If these measures do not improve quality of life,
surgery is the only option
– Involves the removal of the cloudy lens and replacing it with a
substitute lens
A cataract needs to be removed only when vision loss
interferes with everyday activities such as driving,
reading or watching TV

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 How is a cataract removed?
• Phacoemulsification:
The most common
method of removal.
Phaco involves a small
incision on the side of the
cornea. A tiny probe is
inserted which emits
ultrasound waves that
soften and break up the
cloudy center of the lens
so it can be removed with
suction
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 Intraocular Lens
• After the lens is
removed a clear,
artificial lens called an
Intraocular lens (IOL)
is required. The IOL
becomes a
permanent part of the
eye and must last the
rest of the patients life

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 Benefits of Cataract Surgery
• Improvements in activities
– Driving
– Watching TV
– Reading
– Working
– Moving around
– Social activities
– Hobbies
– Safety
– Self-confidence
– Independence
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 BUT….

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 Risks of Cataract Surgery
• Possible complications:
– High pressure in the eye
– Blood collection inside the eye
– Infection inside the eye
– Artificial lens damage
– Drooping eyelids
– Retinal detachment
– Severe bleeding inside the eye
– Swelling or clouding of the cornea
– Blindness

– LOSS OF EYE
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 Epidemiology of Cataracts
• According to the World Health
Organization cataracts are the number
one cause of blindness worldwide
– 50 million persons in the world are BLIND
from cataracts
• More then half of people over 65 have cataracts
• 60% of people over the age of 75 have cataracts

• If you live long enough you are virtually

GUARANTEED to develop a cataract

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 Primary Prevention
Intake of dietary antioxidants prevent
cataract formation by blocking the
oxidative modification of the lens

Vitamins A, C and E
People who had regular daily doses of the antioxidants
Vitamin C and E were 32% less likely to have
developed cataracts

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 VITAMIN A

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 VITAMIN C

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 VITAMIN E

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 What can I do to protect my
vision?
• Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim
to block ultraviolet sunlight may help to
delay cataract.
• If you smoke, stop. Researchers also
believe good nutrition can help reduce the
risk of age-related cataract.
• They recommend eating green leafy
vegetables, fruit, and other foods with
antioxidants
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 What can I do to protect my
vision? Cont…
• If you are age 60 or older, you should
have a comprehensive dilated eye exam
at least once every two years.
• In addition to cataract, your eye care
professional can check for signs of age-
related macular degeneration, glaucoma,
and other vision disorders.
Early treatment for many eye diseases
may save your sight.
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