What is Cataract? Symptoms & Treatment

An eye cataract forms when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, making it harder to see clearly. The lens, which is normally clear, helps focus light on the retina to produce sharp vision. When it becomes cloudy, it can cause cataract symptoms like blurry vision, glare, and trouble with night driving. Although common in older adults, eye cataracts can also be caused by injuries, medical conditions, or prolonged UV exposure. Cataracts progress slowly but can be effectively treated with modern surgical techniques.

The Most Common Cataract Symptoms Include:

Cataract symptoms vary depending on the type and stage of the cataract. Common cataract signs and symptoms in the eye include:

• Cloudy or Blurred Vision: Objects may appear fuzzy, and vision may feel foggy or unclear.
• Sensitivity to Light and Glare: Bright sunlight, headlights, or even indoor lighting can cause discomfort and difficulty seeing.
• Poor Night Vision: Difficulty seeing in low light or during nighttime activities, such as driving, is common.
• Fading or Yellowed Colors: Colors may lose their vibrancy, appearing dull or washed out.
• Halos Around Lights: Seeing halos or rings around bright lights, especially at night.
• Double Vision in One Eye: Some patients report seeing double images due to the clouded lens.

What are the Causes of Cataract?

There are several causes of cataract, with aging being the most common. Other factors that lead to the formation of cataracts include:

• Aging: Natural changes in the lens cause protein breakdown and cloudiness, resulting in cataracts.
• Eye Injuries: Trauma to the eye can lead to cataract formation, either immediately or years later.
• Family History: A family history of cataracts increases the risk.
• Medical Conditions: Conditions like diabetes significantly increase the likelihood of developing cataracts.
• UV Exposure: Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays without proper eye protection can damage the lens.
• Steroid Use: Long-term use of corticosteroids can accelerate cataract formation.
• Smoking and Alcohol: Both habits contribute to oxidative damage in the eye and increase the risk of cataracts.

Cataract Risk Factors

The risk of developing cataracts increases due to several factors. Common cataract risk factors include:

• Aging: The natural aging process is the leading cause of cataracts.
• Genetics: A family history of cataracts can increase your likelihood of developing them.
• Medical Conditions: Diabetes is a major risk factor due to its impact on eye health.
• Prolonged UV Exposure: Without proper eye protection, UV light can damage the lens.
• Smoking: Smoking introduces harmful chemicals that damage the eyes.
• Obesity: Being overweight is linked to higher chances of cataracts.
• Alcohol Consumption: Heavy alcohol use can contribute to cataract formation.

How to Prevent Eye Cataract

While not all cases of cataracts can be prevented, adopting healthy habits can help delay their onset. Here’s how you can reduce your risk of developing eye cataract symptoms:

• Wear UV-Protective Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
• Maintain a Balanced Diet: Include antioxidant-rich foods like leafy greens, carrots, and citrus fruits in your meals.
• Quit Smoking: Smoking damages eye tissues and contributes to cataract formation.
• Control Medical Conditions: Proper management of diabetes and other health issues can reduce the risk of cataracts.
• Limit Alcohol Consumption: Reducing alcohol intake helps protect overall eye health.
• Regular Eye Check-Ups: Routine eye exams allow for early detection and management of cataracts.

Post-Surgery Care and Recovery Tips

To ensure proper healing after cataract surgery, follow these tips:

• Wear Protective Eyewear: Use goggles or wraparound glasses to protect your eyes from dust and sunlight during waking hours.
• Use Prescribed Eye Drops: Follow the schedule recommended by your doctor to prevent infection and reduce inflammation.
• Avoid Touching or Rubbing Your Eyes: This prevents irritation or the risk of infection.
• Avoid Strenuous Activities: Refrain from heavy lifting or exercise for the first few weeks.
• Attend Follow-Up Appointments: Regular check-ups ensure the eye is healing properly.

Most patients experience improved vision within a week, with full recovery in 4-6 weeks.

Cataract Diagnosis & Treatment

For a safe and effective medical treatment of cataract, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital is a one-stop solution. We provide a safe eye cataract treatment based on the type of cataract, including cortical cataract, intumescent cataract, nuclear cataract, posterior subcapsular cataract, rosette cataract, and traumatic cataract. We also provide paediatric cataract treatment and effectively cater to complicated cataract treatment.

Reach out to our team for thorough analysis, treatment options, and prevention tips!

Cataract Diagnosis

The eye care specialists of our hospital diagnose cataract with a comprehensive eye examination. To identify cataract, your eye doctor analyses your medical history. If you experience vision difficulties, they also look for such signs and symptoms through some tests before cataract treatment that include:

• Retinal Examination

For better examination of your eyes, eye specialists use eye drops to widen your pupil. It allows them to get a closer view of your retina.

With an ophthalmoscope, eye doctors look for the visible signs of cataract and proceed with the treatment accordingly.

• Visual Acuity Test

In this eye examination, your eye doctor uses an eye chart to understand your vision and ability to read letters from a distance. They perform this test individually on each eye with one eye covered and similarly on the other. If they diagnose any signs of cataract, they proceed with the suitable cataract treatment.

• Slit Lamp Examination

A slit lamp is an instrument with a high-intensity light beam that allows them to see the structures of your eyes better under magnified glasses. They examine the cornea, lens, iris, and other parts of your eyes. With this slit lamp, eye doctors even analyse the small sections, making it easier to detect minor problems.

Cataract Treatment

Cataract is a common eye problem and people get this problem as they age. When you start realising its symptoms, contact the experts of Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital for early cataract treatment. Here are cataract treatment options:

1. Eyeglasses

In the initial stage, when you don’t have any vision difficulty, your eye doctor prescribes eyeglasses to correct your vision.

Cataract Surgery

If the symptoms of cataract start impacting your day-to-day chores, then cataract eye surgery is the only effective option for cataract treatment to root out its symptoms. This surgery is also effective for congenital cataract treatment.

Laser Surgery

When eye doctors determine that your cataract is dense and find difficult to create an opening, they rely on laser treatment for cataract.

What Happens in Traditional Cataracts and Laser Cataracts Surgery?

When you visit Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, our doctors discuss with you and acquaint you with the cataract operation procedure of working.

• Traditional Cataract Surgery

In the traditional cataract treatment procedure, eye care specialists numb the area around your eyes with local anaesthesia before the cataract eye surgery, but you are awake throughout. Under this cataract operation, eye surgeons remove the clouded lens using a microsurgical instrument and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

• Laser Cataracts Surgery

There are here some laser-assisted surgery options to restore your vision:

2(a) Corneal Incision

For the cataract treatment, doctors make an incision through femto laser cataract surgery to access and remove the cataract from your eyes.

The surgeon creates a precise surgical plane for the corneal incision. It is done with a sophisticated 3-D image eye image called an OCT scan. Doctors aim to create an incision in a specific location with accurate depth and length in all planes. With the OCT image and a femtosecond laser, it can be performed exactly.

2(b) Capsulotomy

The blurriness of vision occurs after years later because the eye’s lens capsule gets cloudy. This capsule holds the IOL in its original position. To open this cloudy capsule, doctors may use a laser, which helps you restore your vision. This process of cataract treatment is called capsulotomy.

2(c) Cataract Fragmentation

Under laser cataract surgery, your provider uses a laser for better precision to remove the affected lens for IOL cataract surgery. Once they create an opening, this laser beam triggers the cataract to soften and fragment it easily. This process of cataract treatment is done with help of phacoemulsification probe using ultrasound & mechanical energy.

If your cataract gets hard, it may require more energy. This may increase the chances of more collateral tissue damage as compared to soft cataract. However, our surgeon takes all necessary precautions to lower such tissue damage and perform cataract eye surgery carefully.

Post-Surgery Care Tips

During the cataract operation, patients feel little to no pain. To recover faster after a cataract operation, here are some tips:

• After a cataract operation, you may feel some irritation in your eyes. It is essential to shield your eyes with eyeglasses and avoid dirt or dust affecting your eyes after cataract treatment.
• Do not perform activities like heavy weightlifting to avoid additional eye pressure after cataract removal surgery.
• After a cataract operation, you may see things brighter, so it is essential to avoid driving.
• Take the necessary precautions your doctor suggests and take medications as a cataract cure promptly.

Cataract Prevention Tips

Since cataract is an age-related problem, you can follow the below cataract precaution tips to protect your vision:

• Limit your eyes’ exposure to the sun, and wear sunglasses to block sun rays if needed.
• Refrain from indulging in any physical activities (basketball, football, or more) that may cause eye injury. To prevent accidental injury, wear eye protective glasses.
• Say no to smoking as you may increase the chance of developing cataracts three times more than non-smokers.
• Go for regular eye checks to detect any symptoms of eye-related problems at the earliest.

We at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital provide comprehensive treatment for various eye diseases. The diseases are listed here:

Cataract

Diabetic Retinopathy

Corneal Ulcer (Keratitis)

Fungal Keratitis

Macular Hole

Retinopathy Prematurity

Ptosis

Keratoconus

Macular Edema

Glaucoma

Uveitis

Pterygium or Surfers Eye

Blepharitis

Nystagmus

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Cornea Transplantation

Behcets Disease

Computer Vision Syndrome

Hypertensive Retinopathy

Mucormycosis / Black Fungus

 To treat your eye-related problems, our eye treatment or surgery options include the following:

Glued IOL

PDEK

Oculoplasty

Pneumatic Retinopexy (PR)

Cornea Transplantation

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

Pinhole Pupilloplasty

Paediatric Ophthalmology

Cryopexy

Refractive Surgery

Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL)

Dry Eye Treatment

Neuro Ophthalmology

Anti VEGF Agents

Retinal Laser Photocoagulation

Vitrectomy

Scleral Buckle

Laser Cataract Surgery

Lasik Surgery

Black Fungus

If you experience blurry vision or glares around lights, immediately schedule your appointment with the eye doctors of Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital! With an in-depth examination of your eyes using state-of-the-art facilities, we are committed to offering the best eye care treatment.

Note: Eye cataract operation costs may vary depending on the treatment you seek for. Book your consultation with us today for the best cataract treatment!