Cataracts Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Cataracts or lens cloudiness is a condition where cloudiness occurs in the eye organ, namely the lens of the eye. This eye disorder is the leading cause of treatable blindness in the world today.
Most cataracts or lens opacities develop in old age as a result of continuous exposure to environmental and other influences. Some things that can affect it are smoking, ultraviolet radiation, and increased blood sugar levels.
The most common cataract or lens clouding in older people is called a lens clouding or senile cataract (age-related cataract). Small amounts of lens opacities or cataracts may also be associated with eye diseases such as glaucoma, detachment, retinitis pigmentosa, trauma, uveitis, high myopia, steroid eye drop treatment, and intraocular tumors.
In addition, it can also be affected by specific systemic diseases. For example diabetes, galactosemia, hypocalcemia, systemic steroids or chlorpromazine, congenital rubella, myotonic dystrophy, atopic dermatitis, Down’s syndrome, and hereditary cataracts. X-ray radiation is also thought to affect the cloudiness of the eye lens.
Symptom
The most common symptom of cataracts or lens opacities is cloudy and increasingly blurred vision. In the initial symptoms, there may be blurry distant vision and slightly improved near vision compared to before (second sight).
If the quality of the lens deteriorates or fatigue occurs, this second sight will disappear. Another symptom found in lens opacities or senile cataracts is an increased feeling of glare (glare).
In the lens of the eye of a person with cataracts or cloudiness, a white shadow will appear. Apart from that, double vision can also occur, night blindness and sometimes requires a brighter light to read.
Reason
The hardened plaque becomes tartar. The causes of lens opacities or cataracts are as follows:
- Aging. It’s only natural that every organ will age and lose its function, the same goes for the lens of the eye. Aging is the most common cause of lens opacities or cataracts.
- History of trauma. The lens of the eye that was damaged when he was young. For example, due to the entry of sharp pieces of material into the eye, hitting the ball, fireworks. A history of trauma will make cataracts appear more quickly.
- Suffering from certain diseases. There is a history of suffering from certain diseases related to the occurrence of cataracts or lens opacities in the future. For example diabetes mellitus (diabetes), hypocalcemia (blood calcium deficiency), and atopic dermatitis (allergic skin disease).
- Taking certain drugs for a long time: For example, corticosteroid drugs (often used as anti-inflammatory drugs) and amiodarone (a drug to regulate heart rhythm). The use of these drugs is associated with the incidence of cataracts or lens opacities.
- Infection during pregnancy. Cataracts or lens opacities can also be suffered from birth, namely congenital cataracts. Cataracts or lens clouding can occur in one or both eyes. The main cause is mainly related to infection during pregnancy, especially rubella.
- Smoke.
- Toxins/toxins
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of cataracts or lens opacities is determined through a series of interviews and physical examinations. A physical examination is carried out in the form of a visual field examination (for example by looking at letters at a distance of 6 m) which usually results in a decrease in visual acuity.
In addition, there is an examination using a flashlight directed at the side of the eye, which will show cloudiness in the eye lens which is shaped like a crescent moon (positive shadow test).
Other additional examinations that can be carried out are examination with a slit lamp to ophthalmoscopy examination of the retinal area. This is done when additional abnormalities are suspected in various other organs in the eye.
Complications
Complications that can arise after surgery are relatively low. However, if cataract surgery or lens opacities are complicated, then there may be partial or total vision loss.
Some complications that can arise as a result of cataract surgery or lens opacities include eye infection (endophthalmitis), swelling and presence of fluid in the central nerve lining of the eye (cystoid macular edema), swelling of the clear lining of the eye (corneal edema).
In addition, complications can also occur in the form of bleeding in front of the eye (hyphema), and detachment of the retinal lining of the eye (retinal detachment) due to cataract surgery or lens opacities. Some people can also feel glare after lens opacification or cataract surgery.
Treatment
The only therapy for patients with cataracts or lens opacities is cataract surgery. In this therapy, the lens is removed from the eye (lens extraction) by intracapsular or extracapsular (ICCE) procedures. This technique is rarely done anymore now.
Extracapsular extraction (ECCE). In this technique, the front of the capsule is cut and removed, the lens is removed from the eye, leaving the capsule behind. An artificial replacement lens can be inserted into the capsule. The incidence of complications after surgery is smaller if the rear capsule is intact.
Phacofragmentation and phacoemulsification. Is an extracapsular technique that uses ultrasonic vibrations to lift the lens through a small incision (2-5 mm). This will facilitate post-operative wound healing.
If surgery is required, removal of the lens will improve visual acuity in 90% of cases. The rest may have had retinal damage or had serious postoperative complications. For example, glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyeball), retinal detachment (detachment of the retina of the eye), or an infection that hinders the restoration of vision.
The presence of an intraocular lens (in the eyeball) makes it easier to adjust vision after lens opacification or cataract surgery compared to when only thick cataract glasses were available.