Cataracts

A cataract is the clouding of the crystalline lens. The crystalline is a natural lens in the eye that enables it to focus on images. The crystalline lens loses its natural transparency due to aging and this causes the images perceived by the eye to be blurred or out of focus. It is then that a person is said to have formed a cataract. 

Cataracts are not caused by our sight having had to work for years. Cataracts are not passed from one eye to the other, although it is normal for them to develop in both eyes at the same time. 

WHAT CAUSES CATARACTS?

Nobody exactly knows why the crystalline lens gives rise to a cataract with the passage of time. However there are some studies that have demonstrated some contributory factors and what to avoid.

A prolonged exposure over the years to the sun's ultraviolet radiation without suitable protection contributes to their formation. 

Some researchers think that a diet rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E may delay the appearance of cataracts. Unhealthy habits such as smoking or excessive drinking (alcohol) may also contribute to their appearance. 

What is true is that from the age of 50 we have more possibilities of developing a cataract with no more specific cause than our age. This kind of cataract is therefore called a senile cataract. 

Other less frequent causes of cataracts are: congenital cataracts, traumas, consumption of medicinal drugs (corticoids), diabetic cataracts, etc.

WHAT SYMPTOMS DO THEY PRODUCE?

Initially a cataract provokes a slight sensation of blurred vision, as if we were looking through a cloud, but as it advances it gives rise to a slow but progressive loss of sight. 

Some of the most frequently reported symptoms are: greater dazzling or sensitivity to light, for example when meeting car headlights head on when driving; double vision in one eye; the need for stronger light to read by; frequent changes in lens graduation; colours becoming less intense or yellowish.

HOW ARE THEY DIAGNOSED?
 
Cataracts cannot normally be detected by visual inspection without the right instruments. If you notice blurred vision or any of the other symptoms outlined, you should visit your ophthalmologist for a complete check up.

The ophthalmologist will examine the inside of your eye to determine the type, size and location of the cataract.

In this kind of examination, a device is also used to measure the graduation of the lens that will be used to replace the natural crystalline lens during the operation.

At the same time a full examination of the eye is undertaken, to confirm that there are no other diseases that could interfere with its sight after the operation has taken place.

HOW ARE THEY TREATED?

During the initial stages of a cataract it is possible to resolve the problem of blurred vision by changing the graduation of the patient's glasses. However, the problem will only be fully resolved when the cataract is surgically removed. 

Surgical cataract treatment has improved in latter years thanks to the development of technological improvements. 

Cataract surgery is currently considered a minimum invasion surgery, as it is undertaken using local anaesthetic through incisions measuring less than 3 mm. 

The crystalline lens is gradually broken up into small pieces using ultrasound and these are removed from the eye through aspiration. 

Finally, an intraocular lens is introduced and, in many cases, the operation is finished without the need for sutures.