It is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Although it is treated with an operation, it is still a global problem. 50% of blind people in the world are due to cataracts.
Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world. It is not cured with medication, but surgical interventions are quick and effective.
There are many types of cataracts and therefore, although the cause is not completely known, it is related to oxidation processes and aging, that is the fundamental key.
Dr. Yesenia Matos, pediatric and adult ophthalmologist, confirms that the most frequent and common cataracts are those related to age, aging.
“Cataracts are mainly caused by the opacity of the crystalline lens, which is the natural lens we have. It is transparent and when it ages it becomes opaque.”he explains.
However, Matos explains that there are other types of cataracts and other causes. “There are factors that can accelerate this process, such as, for example, ocular trauma; an injury to the eye can damage the lens and this can lead to cataract formation,” details the specialist.
Likewise, Dr. Matos cited some diseases that favor the appearance of this ocular pathology, such as: diabetes, “some medications can also cause this disease such as prolonged use of steroids, it also occurs due to genetic factors and lifestyle. life, habits such as smoking or consuming alcohol can predispose the appearance. Likewise, there are congenital cataracts in children,” describes the ophthalmologist.
What are your symptoms?
There is a basic symptom that is seeing worse: it may be due to glare; feeling of fog; changes in colors, becoming more yellowish or ‘brownish’; double and even multiple vision.
Prevention
Prevention depends on the cause, in senile cataracts, if we think that they are related to aging and oxidation, avoiding oxidants is a preventive factor, although genetics and diet influence.
The most universal oxidant is tobacco and it can be influenced there, since it is a factor that facilitates cataracts.
Can it be cured with medications?
No, not at the moment, says Dr. Yesenia Matos.
As explained, it is only possible through surgery and with this procedure vision is recovered like the previous one or even better by having an intraocular optical correction.
How is cataract surgery performed?
Cataract surgery involves removing the lens (which is like a lentil) that has become opaque.
Until the last third of the last century, it was removed and the optical defect was corrected with glasses, but currently the strategy, and this is one of the great technological advances of the 20th century, is to replace the body with an artificial lens, which conditions the technique.
The goal is to remove everything as cleanly as possible. Since the intraocular lenses appear, a part of the lens is left, as if it were your skin – the capsule – which serves as a support to put the contact lens on.
What are the latest developments and what benefits do they provide?
Cataract surgery has gone down two paths, first safety, linked to systems to efficiently extract the contents of the cataract, through increasingly smaller entrances so that the surgery is the least traumatic and aggressive.
Until a few decades ago, a large incision was made that required a series of stitches, so that the operation that we now perform in 10 minutes was performed in 40/50 minutes; This prolonged healing and implied greater risk for the patient. If you hit it or made an effort, you could break a point.
Currently, we work with very small, self-sealing entrances of just two millimeters.
