I. What is cataract?
The human eye is very similar to the principle of the camera we usually use. The reason why a camera can image external things and images on film is through the lens. There is an object inside the human eye that is shaped like a convex lens magnifying glass, which we call the lens. This lens is the lens of our human eye. As we age, or as a result of trauma, poisoning, radiation, or localized lesions, the lens becomes cloudy and gradually loses its transparency, blocking the light from the outside world and making our vision slowly blurred. This clouded lens is known as a cataract. A cloudy cataract is like an opaque lens that is worn out, making it impossible for the eye to see clearly.
There are many causes of cataracts, such as aging, heredity, metabolic abnormalities, trauma, radiation, poisoning, and local nutritional disorders. However, aging, that is, cataracts caused by aging, is the most common, accounting for more than 95% of all cataracts. Therefore, what we are talking about here is mainly senile cataracts, also called age-related cataracts. It is no exaggeration to say that as long as the elderly aged 60 to 65 or above, 100% of them suffer from cataracts of different degrees. Even in our usual clinical work, we find that some patients in their 40s and 50s already have significant cataracts. However, due to individual differences, the degree of cataract is different for each elderly person, and the timing of cataract surgery and the method of cataract surgery may be different.
What are the symptoms of cataract?
From a professional point of view, cataracts have the following symptoms: 1. visual impairment; 2. decreased contrast sensitivity; 3. myopia, astigmatism, diplopia, photophobia and glare; 4. changes in color vision; 5.
4. altered color vision; 5. visual field defects of varying degrees.
In short, if you find that you gradually have blurred vision or blurred vision in the sunlight, darker or yellowish color of objects, or even double vision, double vision, and distorted vision, or a feeling of dark shadows in front of your eyes, plus you have entered or will enter the ranks of the elderly, then unfortunately, it means that you probably have cataracts. At this point, we recommend that you go to a major hospital to see an ophthalmologist to confirm the diagnosis.
In addition, there is another special case, that is, during the development of cataract, symptoms such as eye swelling, headache, nausea and vomiting may be misdiagnosed by some physicians as cerebrovascular accident or acute gastroenteritis, but in fact, this may be acute closed angle glaucoma caused by lens expansion.
What should I do if I have cataract? Should I take medication or have cataract surgery?
It takes a long time for cataracts to develop from the initial stage to the mature stage, and this is a long process. It brings great difficulties to cataract patients’ life. For example, poor eyesight and difficulty in distinguishing whether the ground is flat or ditchy can lead to falls and injuries; in severe cataract patients, they cannot see their fingers and need a person to take care of them, which puts a lot of pressure on the family economy. Therefore, if they can be treated as early as possible, they can enjoy a high quality of life as soon as possible.
There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of when you have a cataract, as long as you follow the instructions of your ophthalmologist! Your doctor will tell you to have regular checkups with your ophthalmologist every three months to keep an eye on the progress of cataracts. For early stage cataracts with corrected visual acuity greater than 0.4, your doctor will often recommend medication. The main medications used to treat cataracts are Cataract Stop Eye Drops, Cataractin Eye Drops, Carlin U Eye Drops, and Vision Dew Eye Drops. Since the mechanism of cataract formation is still unclear, no breakthrough has been made in drug treatment so far. So far, there is no drug that can cure cataract, or completely stop or slow down the development of cataract, that is to say, the only effective treatment for cataract is surgery, that is, to remove the cloudy lens cataract.
When is the best time to do cataract surgery?
Many cataract patients may have gone to primary care hospitals for checkups and have been instructed by physicians to “wait until you can’t see before having surgery”. In fact, this is not true. With the development of technology and the application of new techniques, cataract surgery is undergoing radical changes. In addition, the maturation process of cataract is a long and dangerous process, during which the cataract absorbs water and expands, which can easily induce acute angle-closure glaucoma and cause serious and unrecoverable vision damage to cataract patients. From this perspective, the sooner cataract patients should have it done, the safer it is.
In terms of the indications for modern cataract ultrasound surgery, the better the vision, the softer the nucleus of the cataract, the safer and easier the surgery, and the better the post-operative vision, which can generally reach 0.8-1.5. If you are engaged in fine work and personal needs, you can choose to perform cataract ultrasonic emulsification combined with IOL implantation surgery below 0.6.
V. Is cataract ultrasound phacoemulsification surgery safe? Is cataract ultrasonic phacoemulsification surgery painful?
At present, advanced cataract ultrasound emulsification combined with foldable IOL implantation is widely used at home and abroad for cataract treatment.
Cataract ultrasound emulsification surgery is a minimally invasive and painless surgery. The surgical incision is only 2.2-3.2 mm wide, and the cataract nucleus is emulsified into a celiac state by an ultrasound emulsifier and then aspirated, and a foldable IOL is implanted by a pusher. Due to the small surgical incision and quick wound healing, the vision recovers quickly the day after cataract surgery. The surgery is very safe.
6. Will cataract recur after cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery has removed the cloudy lens, so there is no problem of recurrence. However, the residual lens cortex and the epithelial cells shed in the posterior capsule of the lens will proliferate and form a membranous material in severe cases. If the clouding of the membranous material is significant enough to block light and affect vision, it is called a posterior cataract. Posterior cataracts can be treated with non-invasive and painless YAG laser treatment in an outpatient setting without the need for further hospitalization.