Cataracts

Uploaded by mumsa1 on Jan 23, 2012

Cataracts are a major cause of blindness and can be common in older people.

In this article:

What are cataracts?

Diagnosis

Advice & Support

Symptoms

Treatment

Causes

How Chemist Online can help

What are cataracts?

If you have a cataract you have a cloudy spot in the lens of your eye(s) which makes things appear blurred. This ‘mistiness’ in your vision can become progressively worse if you do not seek treatment (surgery) as early as possible, or if treatment proves unsuccessful – this can occur in rare cases where an operation to remove a cataract goes wrong or can not ultimately be performed for some other reason.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cataracts include:

seeing a spot in the centre of your vision, rather than a sharp picture overall

a progressive blurring of vision over time

double vision

abnormally reduced vision at night or in a dark environment

seeing a ring of light (like a halo) around lights

experiencing a stronger, almost blinding glare from both sunlight and powered lights (e.g., lamps, headlights)

difficulty in distinguishing some colours from others, and the sense that colours seem faded

Also, if you are suffering from cataracts you will probably find that you have to keep changing your glasses to a different prescription (i.e. more often than normal).

Causes

A cataract develops in the eye when the protein in the lens forms into clumps. This prevents enough light from reaching the back of the eye where the retina sits ready to form a clear picture. Blurring occurs as a result. This clumping of protein usually occurs as part of the ageing process – about a third of all sufferers are of pensionable age. However, younger people can also develop the condition.

Cataracts can occur due to:

being diabetic

having high blood pressure

having a cardiovascular disease

having a genetic predisposition (i.e. cataracts are in the family and this predisposition is passed down)

smoking

overexposure to the sun

experiencing an episode of extreme dehydration at some time in your life (this may be through a particularly severe bout of diarrhoea when travelling abroad, for example, or as a result of developing a viral infection or other condition)

prolonged use of steroids

Diagnosis

A confirmed diagnosis of cataracts is usually made through an eye test.

Treatment

Cataracts are treated through a delicate but surprisingly quick surgical procedure where the cataract is removed and replaced with a new artificial lens.

How Chemist Online can help

Many people suffer from severe headaches after cataract surgery. Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help, such as:...