Cataract is ultimately the aging of a person’s own lens. It is mostly seen in middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old, and its incidence increases with age. However, the time of cataract is different for everyone, there are early and late. Besides individual differences such as genetics, what factors can speed up or lead to the occurrence of cataract?
1, ultraviolet light is one of the causes of cataracts. In places with strong ultraviolet radiation such as plateaus, the incidence of cataracts increases greatly and the age of onset is early, for example, plateau areas such as Tibet in China.
Diabetic patients’ blood sugar rises, and more glucose will enter the lens in the blood, which will eventually make the lens swell and cloud up after metabolism, and cataract will occur. Nowadays, the incidence of diabetes is very high among middle-aged and elderly people, who need to be alert to the possibility of cataracts and fundus bleeding.
3. Trauma directly acting on the eye such as blunt contusions, bruises, blows, punctures, pokes, eye rupture injuries, chemical injuries, etc. may trigger cataracts.
4. Other eye diseases or surgeries Some other eye diseases may accelerate the development of cataract, such as recurrent uveitis, exfoliation syndrome, ocular ischemic disease, retinal detachment, high myopia, glaucoma, corneal infection, etc. In addition some internal eye surgeries may also accelerate the development of cataract, such as anti-glaucoma surgery, retinal detachment surgery, corneal transplantation, etc.
Note that only long-term or high-dose application of certain drugs can cause cataracts, including: hormones, chlorpromazine (antipsychotic), and pupil reduction agents. Short-term use generally has no effect. Whether or not to use these drugs, you need to consult with a specific physician about the advantages and disadvantages of medication, and not to stop the medication without permission to affect the therapeutic effect.
6, internal diseases hepatomegaly: is a copper metabolism abnormalities in internal diseases, eye manifestations are: corneal pigment ring, sunflower-shaped lens clouding. Low calcium : Low serum calcium can cause cataracts, mainly seen in: parathyroid insufficiency, nutritional disorders leading to low calcium, etc. Patients with galactose metabolizing enzyme defects.
The following two conditions are generally seen in specific groups of people with a defined work or living environment.
7. Chemicals and metals Generally only long-term exposure can cause cataracts, including: benzene and its compounds, trinitrotoluene naphthalene, copper, iron, mercury, silver, zinc, etc.
8. Radiation Infrared radiation (common in glass workers and steel workers), ionizing radiation (X-rays, γ-rays, neutron radiation), microwave radiation.