Conservative treatment
Primarily, this refers to medication. So far, there is no drug that has been scientifically proven to cure cataracts, just like white hair, there is no drug that can turn white hair black, of course, hair dyes don’t count. In other words, there is no drug in the world that can treat cataracts, just like there is no rejuvenation drug in the world. The eye solution drugs that can be bought in hospitals and pharmacies to treat cataracts currently only serve to improve the microenvironment of the eye and slow down the progression of cataracts. If anyone can develop an effective drug to treat cataracts, they will surely get the Nobel Prize.
Here, we can’t help but mention Salprace eye drops, which are advertised too well, but they are no better than Cataract Stop, Carlin-U or Musk Pearl Eye Drops, but they are expensive and not included in the medical insurance list, so you need to buy them at your own expense.
In short, there is no special medicine for cataracts, and surgery is ultimately needed to solve cataracts.
In addition, in life, you can pay attention to eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and grains rich in vitamins and minerals, pay attention to preventing excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, don’t be too tired, don’t be too stressed, maintain good habits of life and rest, and ensure enough sleep. If there are systemic diseases, such as diabetes and immune diseases, they will promote the progression of cataracts during the development and treatment of the disease. Therefore, active treatment to control these systemic diseases can also inhibit the progression of cataracts.
Surgical treatment
1. To what extent does cataract development require surgery?
The most commonly used surgical method is cataract ultrasound emulsion aspiration combined with IOL implantation. It is generally believed that surgery can be performed when vision loss affects daily work and life, for example, when watching TV or road signs are blurred and reading is inconvenient, among other reasons. In particular, patients with senile cataracts in both eyes should not wait until they are completely blind before performing surgery. In the past, due to the limitations of technology and equipment, surgery for mature cataracts was effective and did not cause complications easily. This outdated concept may delay the surgery, because when the cataract is overly mature, the risk of ultrasound surgery will increase and the time required for post-operative recovery will be prolonged. Moreover, some overly mature cataracts can cause complications such as glaucoma, bringing unnecessary losses to patients.
2. Can senior citizens also undergo cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is not age specific. As long as the patient is in good health, cataract surgery can be performed on elderly people over 90 years old. However, systemic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease or diabetes must be effectively controlled, and blood pressure and blood sugar must be stabilized at or near normal levels.
3.Do I have to implant an IOL for cataract surgery?
IOLs must be implanted for cataract surgery. At present, cataract ultrasound emulsion surgery is the most advanced surgical method commonly used in the world to treat cataracts and is also a very mature surgery. Through an incision of only 3.2mm or even smaller, the cloudy lens nucleus is crushed into a chylous form and aspirated, and then an IOL is implanted. It is very popular among patients because of the small incision and quick recovery of vision after surgery. Implanting an IOL during cataract surgery can avoid the trouble and inconvenience of wearing highly farsighted glasses after surgery, and can also obtain more satisfactory vision at an early stage. However, for some special cases, such as: Phase I surgery for traumatic cataract, congenital cataract patients younger than 2 years old should choose the appropriate time for Phase II IOL implantation according to the specific situation.
4.What kind of IOL should I choose?
There are many kinds of IOLs, including hard IOLs and soft IOLs that can be folded. Hard IOLs are mostly used for cataract surgery with large incisions. With the continuous improvement of crystal technology and techniques, there are now soft folding IOLs, which are basically not needed by doctors and patients; folding IOLs are suitable for mainstream ultrasound emulsification surgery, which can be pushed into the crystal capsule through a small incision and then stretched out.
There are also many types of folding IOLs, mainly including monofocal IOLs (spherical IOLs and aspheric IOLs), multifocal IOLs, and some other functions such as Toric astigmatism correction IOLs and yellow IOLs.
The materials of folding IOLs are basically the same and can be used for life. The difference between IOLs mainly lies in whether to see one focal point (distant or near) or two focal points (distant and near) after surgery.
Monofocal IOLs allow patients to see at a distance and require presbyopic lenses for near vision, for patients who are not originally nearsighted or have very low myopia. Monofocal IOLs also allow patients to see near and require nearsighted glasses to see far, which is suitable for patients who were originally nearsighted and have not worn fancy glasses.
Multifocal IOLs are more convenient because they can solve the problem of seeing both near and far at the same time. However, patients with large astigmatism should not use them, otherwise they will be uncomfortable to see after the surgery. Patients with large astigmatism can use Toric toric IOLs. Patients with fundus disease should also try not to use multifocal IOLs, otherwise it will be inconvenient to treat the fundus later, and it is not necessary to implant multifocal IOLs.
For each cataract patient, you should choose the IOL according to your economic conditions and eye habits (whether you look far or read books and newspapers), and you should communicate with your surgeon, who will choose the right IOL for you according to your needs and eye data.
In conclusion, so far, there is no drug that can cure cataracts, and the so-called “cataract-curing” drugs only serve to slow down the progression of cataracts. When cataract progresses to the point that it affects normal life, cataract surgery can be performed to improve the quality of life. Cataract ultrasound surgery is currently recognized as a safe and mature eye surgery in the world, and requires the implantation of an IOL. There are many types of IOLs, and each individual needs to make an individualized choice based on his or her eye condition and eye needs, and it is important to fully communicate with the surgeon on specific matters.