cataracts
cataracts overview
A cataract is an clouding of the eye’s lens, which lies behind the iris. A cataract starts out subtle with little impact on your vision. You may see that your vision is blurred, like looking through a cloudy bit of glass. Cataracts are the most widely recognized cause of vision loss in individuals over age 40. There are more cases of cataracts than glaucoma and macular degeneration, combined (PBA).
cataracts and you
Today, cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans over age 40. What’s more, as the U.S. populace ages, more than 30 million Americans are expected to have cataracts by the year 2020. Different studies have shown vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and foods containing omega-3 unsaturated fats may lessen cataract risk. A cataract can happen in either or both eyes. It can’t spread from one eye to the next. The kind of cataract you have will influence precisely which symptoms you experience and how soon they will happen.
cataracts risk factors
Most cataracts are because of age-related changes in the lens of the eye that cause it to end up distinctly cloudy or dark. Individuals with diabetes are at higher risk for cataracts. Studies show an increased possibility of cataract development with unprotected exposure to bright (UV) radiation. There is possibly an association among smoking and increased lens discoloration. Several studies show increased cataract development in patients with higher alcohol consumption compared to those who consumed less.
More than 3.3 million cataracts surgeries are performed in the nation annually. An increasing number of individuals are having cataract surgery at younger ages. By age 80, the greater part of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery, as indicated by the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute.
A recent study by the Mayo Clinic found that more people are choosing cataract surgery at a younger age. The study analyzed cataract procedures done from 2005 to 2011 in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and 20 percent of the surgeries were performed on patients younger than 65.
Types of Common Cataracts
Nuclear Cataract
Situated in the focal point of the lens. The nucleus tends to obscure, changing from clear to yellow and sometimes chestnut.
Cortical Cataract
Affects the layer of the lens surrounding the nucleus. The cataract looks like a wedge or a spoke.
Posterior Cataract
Found in the back external layer of the lens. This sort regularly develops all the more quickly.
Cataracts Explained
The lens consists mostly of water and protein. The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. Ordinarily, the lens focuses light on the retina, which sends the picture through the optic nerve to the brain.
At the point when the protein clumps up, it clouds the lens and reduces the light that reaches the retina. The obstruction may get to be distinctly sufficiently severe to cause blurred vision. Most age-related cataracts create from protein clumpings.
At the point when a cataract is mild, the cloudiness affects just a small part of the lens. You may not see any changes in your vision. Cataracts have a tendency to “develop” slowly, so vision gets worse over time. After some time, the cloudy area in the lens may get larger, and the cataract may increase in size. Your vision will become more blurry.
Clumps of protein diminish the sharpness of the picture reaching the retina. The lens slowly changes to a yellowish/brownish shading, adding a brownish tint to vision.
As the lens color slowly changes with age, your vision will gradually become a brownish shade. The amount of tinting might be mild and may not cause a vision issue at first. After some time, increased tinting may make it harder to see and perform routine activities.
If you have advanced lens discoloration, you will be unable to distinguish blues and purples. Call your RI optometrist today if you are experiencing symptoms of cataracts.
Lens Focus
If the lens is blocked by a cataract, light is scattered so the lens can no longer focus it appropriately, causing vision problems.
Lens Clouding
The lens is made of mostly proteins and water. Blurring of the lens occurs because of changes in the proteins and lens fibers.
Cataracts in America
A cataract is a blurring of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are identified with age; closely associated with older people. By age 80, the greater part of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
Cataracts Beginning
The lens inside the eye works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina for clear vision. It also adjusts the eye’s focus, giving us a chance to see things both very close and far away. The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is the thing that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.
Cataracts Developing
As we age, some of the protein may cluster together and start to cloud a small range of the lens. This is a cataract, and after some time, it might become larger and cloud a greater amount of the lens, making it more difficult to see.
In a typical eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. When it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.
The lens must be clear for the retina to get a sharp picture. In the event that the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the picture you see will be blurred.
Joseph V. Girgenti, O.D. Inc.