What is a cataract?
A CATARACT is a clouding of your lens in your eye. The lens is usually clear to allow light to pass through and helps to focus this light to allow sharp vision. The lens sits behind the coloured part of your eye (iris).
WHAT CAUSES CATARACTS?
1) Age – cataracts occur almost in every ageing population, most commonly over age 70;
2) Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus;
3) Sunlight;
4) Smoking;
5) Alcohol;
6) Dehydration;
7) Medications such as steroids, including bleaching the skin;
8) Trauma;
9) Other eye conditions;
10) Some children and young adults have cataracts. These are congenital cataracts, which may be genetic, secondary to an eye infection, inflammation or other underlying medical illness.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A CATARACT?
Cataracts usually develop so slowly that you may not notice the changes in your vision, but a regular eye check would detect it.
Eventually, most persons will find their sight has become cloudy, like looking through a waterfall.
Your glasses may appear dirty and need cleaning when they do not.
You are more sensitive to light: bright sunlight or car headlamps, causing glare.
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT CATARACTS?
There is no medication or eye drop that can remove or cure a cataract.
Progression of cataracts can be reduced by protecting your eyes from the sunlight, keep hydrated, control your diabetes, reducing your alcohol intake, and avoid smoking.
Only surgery is curative of a cataract, but not all cataracts require surgery.
WHEN SHOULD I HAVE SURGERY?
Cataracts can be removed at any stage and age; you don’t have to wait for it to ‘ripen’. Making this decision depends on:
The effect on your daily activities; If you have other underlying eye conditions, such as diabetic eye disease;
If you have sight in only one eye. The final decision comes down to if the benefit of surgery outweighs the risk attached to surgery. Remember, cataract surgery is usually done to make your vision clearer and not to remove the need for glasses. The timing of surgery is different for everyone, so have a consult with your eye doctor.