What is Cataract?
Normally, the lens of your eye is clear. A cataract causes the lens to become cloudy, which eventually affects your vision.
What are the symptoms?
Signs and symptoms of cataracts include
- Clouded, blurred or dim vision
- Increasing difficulty with vision at night
- Sensitivity to light and glare
- Need for brighter light for reading and other activities
- Seeing “halos” around lights
- Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription
- Fading or yellowing of colors
- Double vision in a single eye
What causes Cataract?
Most cataracts develop when aging or injury changes the tissue that makes up your eye’s lens.
Some inherited genetic disorders that cause other health problems can increase your risk of cataracts. Cataracts can also be caused by other eye conditions, past eye surgery or medical conditions such as diabetes. Long-term use of steroid medications, too, can cause cataracts to develop.
Diagnosis
To determine whether you have a cataract, your doctor will review your medical history and symptoms, and perform an eye examination. Your doctor may conduct several tests, including:
- Visual acuity test. A visual acuity test uses an eye chart to measure how well you can read a series of letters.
- Slit-lamp examination. A slit lamp allows your eye doctor to see the structures at the front of your eye under magnification. The microscope is called a slit lamp because it uses an intense line of light, a slit, to illuminate your cornea, iris, lens, and the space between your iris and cornea.
- Retinal exam. To prepare for a retinal exam, your eye doctor puts drops in your eyes to open your pupils wide (dilate). This makes it easier to examine the back of your eyes (retina).
Treatment
When your prescription glasses can’t clear your vision, the only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery. It is up to you and your doctor to decide when cataract surgery is right for you. For most people, there is no rush to remove cataracts because they usually don’t harm the eye. But cataracts can worsen faster in people with diabetes. Delaying the procedure generally won’t affect how well your vision recovers if you later decide to have cataract surgery. Take time to consider the benefits and risks of cataract surgery with your doctor.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery involves removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens. The artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, is positioned in the same place as your natural lens. It remains a permanent part of your eye. Cataract surgery is generally done on an outpatient basis, which means you won’t need to stay in a hospital after the surgery. During cataract surgery, your eye doctor uses local anesthetic to numb the area around your eye, but you usually stay awake during the procedure. The operation will be performed through a small incision without need for sutures. If you need cataract surgery in both eyes, your doctor will schedule surgery to remove the cataract in the second eye after you’ve healed from the first surgery.
After cataract Surgery
After cataract surgery, expect your vision to begin improving within a few days. Your vision may be blurry at first as your eye heals and adjusts. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops or other medication to prevent infection, reduce inflammation and control eye pressure. Cataract surgery successfully restores vision in the majority of people who have the procedure.
Please complete the following to receive free medical advice and tourism services
Inquiry Form