Cataracts - Medtick
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Cataracts

What is it?

Vision becomes cloudy (foggy) due to change to the protein in your eye lens (It is behind the iris, the black circular dot in the middle of one’s eye).

  • The lens is normally clear and allows liquid to pass through it. If the lens is cloudy or damaged or changed, then light cannot pass through it easily and hence one vision is affected.
  • The more light that can’t pass through the more one’s vision is affected.

There are many types of  age related cataracts:

Congenital Cataracts

  • When a baby is born or just afterwards has cataracts.

Juvenile Cataracts

  • When older babies or children get cataracts.

Age-related Cataracts

  • As one gets older cataracts get worse due to more light blocked by the lens.

There are three types of cataracts depending on the part of the eye lens affected:

Nuclear Sclerotic Cataracts

  • This is the most common type of age-related cataract, and it causes gradual yellow cloudiness and hardening of the nucleus of the lens.
  • Changes in vision are usually gradual.
  • As a nuclear sclerotic cataract develops one may experience an improvement in your near vision before your vision deteriorates.
  • Referred to as “second sight,” this stage is usually only temporary.

Cortical Cataracts

  • Diabetes is one of the leading risk factors for developing a cortical cataract.
  • The cataract generally appears as a whitish, cloudy opacity in the cortex of the lens.
  • These cataracts often resemble wheel spokes, pointing toward the front and center of the lens.
  • Light tends to scatter when it hits the spoke-like opacities.

Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts (PSCs)

  • These cataracts form in the back of the lens and usually affect one eye more than the other.
  • PSC is an opacity that develops on the back surface of the lens.
  • This type of cataract causes light sensitivity, blurred near vision, and glare and halos around lights. It is more common among people who have diabetes or who have taken steroids for extended periods of time.

verywellhealth 

Cause

Treatments

  • Eye surgery
  • UV exposure
  • Radiation

Syndromes

Medication

Vitamins, herbals and minerals

Symptoms

  • Loss of vision (If a baby has loss of vision, check eyes are moving when one clicks their fingers either side of face)?
  • Vision cloudy, blurry or misty?
  • Small clots and/or spots in eye where sight is not clear?
  • Vision get affected by dim light or when in sunny or bright lights?
  • Wearing glasses and feel they are becoming less effective?
  • Uncomfortable in glaring bright lights?
  • Colour looks less colourful, faded or blurry?
  • Everything appears of a yellow tinge?
  • Double vision?
  • Halo vision (a circle of light around bright lights)?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

Signs can be gradual hence if one notice they are changing their prescription glasses often, then further investigation is necessary.

This condition can lead to:

  • Blindness

This condition has been associated with:

Eye Tests and Driving Authority

Exercise your eyes

Focus change

This exercise works by challenging your focus. It should be done from a seated position.

  • Hold your pointer finger a few inches away from your eye.
  • Focus on your finger.
  • Slowly move your finger away from your face, holding your focus.
  • Look away for a moment, into the distance.
  • Focus on your outstretched finger and slowly bring it back toward your eye.
  • Look away and focus on something in the distance.
  • Repeat three times.

Near and far focus

  • This is another focus exercise.
  • As with the previous one, it should be done from a seated position.
  • Hold your thumb about 10 inches from your face and focus on it for 15 seconds.
  • Find an object roughly 10 to 20 feet away, and focus on it for 15 seconds.
  • Return your focus to your thumb.
  • Repeat five times.

Figure eight

  • This exercise should be done from a seated position as well.
  • Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and focus on it.
  • Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes.
  • Keep tracing for 30 seconds, then switch directions.

20-20-20 rule

  • Eye strain is a real problem for a lot of people. Human eyes are not supposed to be glued to a single object for extended periods of time. If you work at a computer all day, the 20-20-20 rule may help prevent digital eye strain.
  • To implement this rule, every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Vision therapy

  • Vision therapy may include eye exercises, but only as part of a more specialised treatment program done under the supervision of an eye doctor, optometrist, or ophthalmologist.
  • The goal of vision therapy can be to strengthen the eye muscles.
  • It also can help to retrain poor visual behaviour, or help with eye tracking issues.

Healthline : Medically reviewed by Ann Marie Griff, O.D. — Written by Corinne O’Keefe Osborn — Updated on September 29, 2018

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist/Optician) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Cataracts in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

Exercise your eyes

Focus change

This exercise works by challenging your focus. It should be done from a seated position.

  • Hold your pointer finger a few inches away from your eye.
  • Focus on your finger.
  • Slowly move your finger away from your face, holding your focus.
  • Look away for a moment, into the distance.
  • Focus on your outstretched finger and slowly bring it back toward your eye.
  • Look away and focus on something in the distance.
  • Repeat three times.

Near and far focus

  • This is another focus exercise.
  • As with the previous one, it should be done from a seated position.
  • Hold your thumb about 10 inches from your face and focus on it for 15 seconds.
  • Find an object roughly 10 to 20 feet away, and focus on it for 15 seconds.
  • Return your focus to your thumb.
  • Repeat five times.

Figure eight

  • This exercise should be done from a seated position as well.
  • Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and focus on it.
  • Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes.
  • Keep tracing for 30 seconds, then switch directions.

20-20-20 rule

  • Eye strain is a real problem for a lot of people. Human eyes are not supposed to be glued to a single object for extended periods of time. If you work at a computer all day, the 20-20-20 rule may help prevent digital eye strain.
  • To implement this rule, every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Vision therapy

  • Vision therapy may include eye exercises, but only as part of a more specialised treatment program done under the supervision of an eye doctor, optometrist, or ophthalmologist.
  • The goal of vision therapy can be to strengthen the eye muscles.
  • It also can help to retrain poor visual behaviour, or help with eye tracking issues.

Healthline : Medically reviewed by Ann Marie Griff, O.D. — Written by Corinne O’Keefe Osborn — Updated on September 29, 2018

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