Cataract is a disease in which the lens, the transparent and flexible “magnifying glass” inside the eye, becomes cloudy to the point that it is difficult to see objects in front of it due to various reasons. With the improvement of living standards and the aging of society, cataract has become a common disease among the elderly.
1. What factors are related to the development of cataract?
The exact cause of cataract is unclear, and may be related to aging, excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, genetic factors, systemic diseases, intraocular inflammation, ocular trauma, long-term application of drugs and exposure to chemicals, and other factors.
2.What are the symptoms of cataract? How do patients feel about themselves?
In the early stage of cataract, the cloudy area appears in the peripheral part of the lens, which generally does not affect the vision. As the cloudiness develops toward the center of the lens, the patient feels that the vision is blurred. If the lens is uniformly cloudy, patients will feel afraid of light and have dark shadows in front of their eyes.
3.Why are elderly people prone to cataracts?
As we age, the lens gradually undergoes degenerative changes during the aging process and the lens proteins become degenerate. It may be related to systemic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis), lens nutrient metabolism and other factors.
4.Why are diabetic patients prone to cataracts?
Diabetic patients suffer from long-term elevated blood glucose, which leads to metabolic disorders in the body, increased sugar in the lens, water absorption, fiber swelling and degeneration, and clouding. Diabetic patients have a higher incidence of cataracts than the general elderly, with an early age of onset and rapid development. Some diabetic patients suffer from cataract and diabetic retinopathy at the same time.
5.What are the consequences of cataract if not treated?
If cataract is not treated, it will lead to many complications, such as glaucoma, uveitis, etc. These eye diseases mostly occur in the middle and late stages of cataract, which not only cause blindness, but sometimes cause serious inflammation, and some are accompanied by long-term eye pain, and even lead to eye atrophy, and the best time for treatment is lost.
6.What are the treatment methods for cataract? What is the best method to use?
After suffering from cataract, if there is no significant loss of vision and it does not affect the patient’s life, medication can be used to slow down the progress of cataract. Since there are no drugs with definite efficacy to control the development of cataract, cataract treatment is usually based on surgery.
7. Can all cataract patients be treated surgically?
With the use of advanced instruments and continuous improvement in surgical techniques for cataract surgery, as well as the aging of society and people’s high demand for quality of life, the indications for surgery are gradually relaxed. Generally speaking, when cataracts cause vision loss and have affected daily life and work, surgery is possible. However, for each patient specifically, the decision will be based on the patient’s occupation, the type of cataract and other factors.
8.What is the principle of cataract surgery treatment?
The principle of surgery is to remove the cloudy lens and implant an artificial lens to replace the original lens with a convex lens, which is equivalent to the lens of a camera placed inside the eye.
9.What kind of surgical method do we use at present?
The main surgical methods are extracapsular cataract extraction and ultrasonic cataract aspiration. Extracapsular extraction is to remove the entire nucleus of the lens through an incision of 6 mm or more, while ultrasonic cataract aspiration is to smash the nucleus of the lens through a small incision of 3 mm, and then aspirate it after sticking in an ultrasonic crusher. Once the cataract cortex is aspirated and cleaned up, the IOL is then implanted. We mostly choose ultrasonic emulsion cataract aspiration combined with IOL implantation. This procedure has the characteristics of small incision, good healing, fast postoperative vision recovery and high surgical safety, and most of the procedures are successful, and it is suitable for cataracts with moderately hard nuclei. We usually operate under ocular spot anesthesia (surface anesthesia), and the operation time is short, and most patients do not feel discomfort.
10.What are the types of IOLs used in cataract surgery?
The IOL used in surgery is a polymer substance, and there are hard and soft IOLs. Hard IOLs cannot be folded and require an enlarged incision to 6 mm during surgery, which is low in price; soft IOLs can be folded and do not require an enlarged incision, which is high in price. At present, there is a newer zoom, adjustable artificial lens, closer to the physiological role of its own lens.
11.Can senior citizens with cataracts have surgery?
As China enters an aging society, more elderly people will request surgery to improve their quality of life. There is no age limit for cataract surgery, and the current surgical method is less traumatic to the eye. Elderly people can generally afford surgery as long as they are in good health.
12.When is the best time for children with congenital cataract to have surgery?
Since congenital cataracts involve children’s visual development to prevent amblyopia, cataracts that affect visual development should be operated as early as possible, preferably before the appearance of nystagmus, especially monocular cataracts.
13.What are the items of pre-operative examination?
Pre-operative cataract examination includes eye examination and whole body examination. The eye examination generally includes visual acuity, visual function, intraocular pressure, tear duct, corneal endothelium, corneal curvature, AB ultrasound, etc.; the systemic examination generally includes biochemical examination such as routine blood and urine, liver and kidney function, coagulation, blood sugar, etc., as well as medical examination such as blood pressure and electrocardiogram.
14.What preparations should be made in life before cataract surgery?
First of all, you should have a certain understanding of cataract surgery, relax your tension and keep a good attitude, communicate with the surgeon if you have any questions about the surgery, and prepare yourself psychologically before the surgery. Patients with chronic diseases should pay attention to their general condition and operate in the best physical condition.
15.What do I need to pay attention to after the surgery?
After the surgery, you should follow the doctor’s instructions to order eye and oral medication on time and visit the hospital regularly for examination. You should pay attention to your diet, prevent constipation, don’t eat too hard food, don’t exercise hard and don’t lower your head, avoid eye trauma, and elderly people with mobility problems should be taken care of.
16.Can cataract disease be prevented?
Since the cause of cataract is still unclear and it is related to many factors, generally speaking, it is difficult to prevent cataract.
17.What are the good eating habits that middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to in their daily life?
Pay attention to the reasonable combination of nutritious meals, drink more water, eat more grains, green vegetables and fruits, eat calcium food regularly, eat less animal fat and sugar, and do not smoke and drink alcohol.
18.Will cataracts be caused when elderly people watch more TV at home? How long is appropriate to watch TV every day?
However, watching TV for a long time will cause muscle spasm in the eyes, resulting in eye discomfort such as dry eyes and eye pain, etc. It is necessary to take a half-hour break between watching TV to reduce eye fatigue.