Your Eyes

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary cataract is defined as – “A clouding of the lens of the eye or its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light.” Studies say that cataract is the most widespread problem that occurs in the eye and affects most as we grow older.

Your eye is one of the most active parts of your body. It is used twenty four seven.

You realize you are growing older and time is running out – you realize you aren’t seeing things right. Your vision is weak, blurry and unfocussed. Your eyes are most likely experiencing cataracts.

How Your Eyes Function

First, understand how our eye is structured. Your eye is spherical in shape and contains fluid. In front of your eye, there’s a lens which sits just behind the iris. The lens helps you see things around you in a focused manner. The lens focuses light rays on to the back of the eyeball – also known as the retina, thus forming an image which gets transmitted to your brain.

Normally the lens is a clear structure made mainly from water which changes shape as you focus on near and distant objects.

What is a Cataract?

A Cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye interfering normal vision. It’s difficult to predict why or how a cataract is formed, but commonly its caused due to the deterioration of the normal structure within the lens of the eye as one ages. There are other causes such as diabetes, disease in kidney, glaucoma, smoking, alcohol, injury to eye, infection in eye, frequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation and inflammation in the eye. Prolonged use of certain medications also causes cataract. A certain theory also says that it may occur due to the disturbance in the fluids and nutrients in the lens.

Symptoms of a Cataract

In its early stages changing your glasses would help, but as the cataract progresses glasses won’t help. You will notice some deterioration in your ability to see things clearly from a distance. You may have difficulty with glare while driving, or while performing activities like reading that require clear vision. Other symptoms may be colored haloes, or double/multiple images in the eye. When one eye is occluded; you have difficulty in distinguishing colours like blue. Such early symptoms must prompt you for an appointment with your local ophthalmologist at the earliest.
So you suspect a cataract… Now what? Head straight for your trusted ophthalmologist doctor and explain him/her what make you feel disturbed in your vision. Most likely he/she would use an ophthalmoscope to diagnose you and its found in 90% of the cases that a routine eye test leads to the dreaded vision killer – cataract.

Treatments for a Cataract

Its time you consider eye surgery when your vision is drastically poor and hindering your daily activities like hobbies & work.

No medications have ever been found that can slow down the process of clouding your eye lenses.

Over the period of time, your cataract will advance and deteriorate your vision. Surgical correction is the only solution for this. This means replacing your damaged lenses with an artificial one commonly called as Phacoemulsification.

How Can I prevent Cataracts?

Well, the answer is simple. Shades! They are the best way to protect your vulnerable eyes from the harsh UV (ultraviolet) rays of the sun. However, avoiding cataract as we grow older is impossible.

At YELC, we would like to be your ultimate guide to better eye care. Our top-notch eye surgeons and ophthalmologists would be glad to assist you in every way. We are one of the leading cosmetic laser eye centre and we perform advanced corneal surgeries and corneal transplants using the latest technologies. We care for your eyes – your vision is our vision.