Cataracts is One of the Most Curable Causes of Vision Loss
As to recognize Cataract Awareness Month in August, Eye M.D.s want to debunk the myths about cataracts and remind people they don't have to live with vision loss from cataracts.
About 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts.
Cataract is the clouding of the eye's normally clear lens, blocking the passage of light needed for vision. They form slowly and cause no pain. Some stay small and hardly affect vision, but if the cataract does grow and begin to affect your vision, it can usually be removed with surgery.
Cataracts may be partial or complete, stationary or progressive, hard or soft.
Cataracts form for a variety of reasons, including long-term ultraviolet exposure, secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes, or simply due to advanced age; they are usually a result of denaturation of lens proteins. Genetic factors are often a cause of congenital cataracts and positive family history may also play a role in predisposing someone to cataracts at an earlier age, a phenomenon of "anticipation" in pre-senile cataracts. Cataracts may also be produced by eye injury or physical trauma. A study among Icelandair pilots showed commercial airline pilots as three times as likely to develop cataracts as people with non-flying jobs. This is thought to be caused by radiation coming from outer space. Cataracts are also unusually common in persons exposed to infrared radiation like the glassblowers who suffer from "exfoliation syndrome". Exposure to microwave radiation can cause cataracts.
Prevention
New techniques developed over the past decade have made cataract surgery one of the safest and most successful procedures available in terms of restoring quality of life to patients. Each year there are more than 1.6 million of these delicate eye surgeries performed in the United States.
Cataract operations are mostly performed under a local anaesthetic and the patient will be allowed to go home the same day.
Recent research
There are no drugs or exercises that will make a cataract disappear.
However, Recent research suggests that statin use may be associated with a lower risk of developing nuclear cataract.
Although cataracts have no scientifically proven prevention, it is sometimes said that wearing ultraviolet-protecting sunglasses may slow the development of cataracts. Regular intake of antioxidants (such as vitamin C and E) is theoretically helpful, but this is also not proven.
Contrary to popular belief, cataracts are not removed using lasers. Lasers are used in follow-up procedures, if needed. Cataract surgery is most often done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. The cloudy natural lens can be replaced with an artificial lens to give the eye proper focusing power. In most cases, the improvement in the patient's vision is profound, says James Ronk, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Tulsa and president of the Oklahoma Academy of Ophthalmology
So how do you know if you have a cataract? As explained by Dr. Ronk,
a) Some people notice a gradual painless blurring of vision, double vision in one eye or fading or yellowing of colors.
b) When older patients mention sensitivity to glare and/or bright light or trouble driving at night, this may be caused by cataracts.
c) Or, if a patient needs frequent changes to his or her glasses or contact lens prescriptions, I'll evaluate him or her for a cataract.
Dr. Ronk wants to dispel the notion that a cataract has to be "ripe" before it's removed. The best time to have a cataract removed is when it starts to interfere with the things you like to do."
Cataract surgery, although quite safe, is still surgery. If cataracts don't affect your quality of life, you may feel that surgery is not needed. The only person who can really decide when it's time to have them removed is you, under the care of your doctor.
Filed under Cataract Surgery, Eye Treatment
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February 1st, 2007 at 4:10 pm
My brother is a glassblower, blowing quartz and fused silica. He has serious eye damage. Can you refer us to someone that has experience with glassblowers and UV damage? We certainly appreciate your time, energy and interest. Thank you.