The world’s most common cause of reversible blindness is cataracts.. The disease is caused by the natural process of clouding the crystalline lens, the natural lens of our eyes, which occurs as we age. This alteration is extremely common and can impair patients’ quality of life. Therefore, discover vision have separated a list with some information you may not know.
1 – Surgery is the only option for treating cataracts.
No medicines, eye drops, or other therapy, except surgery, can treat the disease.
2 – The sun can accelerate the cataract development process.
Just as we are careful with our skin when exposing ourselves to the sun’s rays, our eyes should also be protected with dark glasses, as they may suffer from premature aging caused by solar radiation.
3 – Cataract surgery is quick and does not require hospitalization.
When performed by an experienced surgeon, cataract surgery can be quick and painless. During the procedure, anesthetic eye drops are used, so the patient does not feel pain, and soon after the surgery is over, the patient can go home.
4 – Cataracts affect a large part of the elderly population.
To give you an idea, 80% of people over 75 have the disease.
5 – Cataracts are not always visible to the naked eye.
There is this image of the disease appearing as a whitish stain on the eyes, but this type of appearance only happens in very advanced cases.
6 – Diabetes can accelerate the onset of cataracts.
People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop the problem than non-diabetics. Glycemic oscillations increase the formation of free radicals that lead to premature aging of the crystalline lens.
7 – The habit of smoking increases the risk of developing cataracts by at least twice.
Although quitting smoking helps lower the risk, the disease can develop earlier, even after stopping smoking.
8 – It is unnecessary to wait for the crystalline lens to become completely opaque for the surgery.
In the past, waiting for the disease to evolve was recommended so surgery could be performed, as the procedure’s safety was lower than the current one. But currently, with the advancement of techniques, devices, and intraocular lenses, it is possible to perform the treatment earlier, without the patient having to wait for the symptoms of the disease to progress.
9 – It is possible to correct degree problems such as hyperopia, astigmatism, myopia, and presbyopia through intraocular lenses implanted during cataract surgery.
Sometimes, it is possible to retire glasses entirely with cataract surgery. Everything will depend on the characteristics of the intraocular lens implanted in place of the crystalline lens. Learn more about intraocular lenses and lasik pros and cons.
