Cataract

The eye lens is composed principally from water and protein. When proteins fibers break and accumulate, it creates an opacification that puts a block some of the light projected on the retina and elicits the blurred image. In time, the eye lens may even get a yellowish or brownish color, which can make more difficult the detection of dark colours. Most of the cataracts owe to age.

The symptoms of cataract appear progressive along with the aging process:

• the decrease of the vision
• sensation of dizziness
• glare sensation in bright light
• disorders in color vision

In most of the cases, these signs appear after the age of 60, but are also rare cases in which they appear at the age of 50 years. The eye lens is the responsible one; becomes like a “mat window”.

The cataract surgery comprises in removing the affected part of the eye lens and its replacement with a permanent intraocular lens. The moment of the surgery is determined by the stadium of the cataract (it must be mature enough to allow the extraction) and your stage vision (vision acuity and color perception).

The causes of the apparition of cataract are multiple. Most often, these are due to aging of the eye. In younger patients, the doctor should look for other causes like:

• diabetes
• one lesion or eye shock
• certain inflammations of the eye
• certain treatments, like one with cortisone

Some children are born with cataract; it is said that it is congenital. In this case, it must be identified the cause and ensure that the relative child does not suffer from other ocular anomalies or internal organs. The congenital cataract can be carried from parents or may be provoked by a disease that occurs during pregnancy. For example, if the mother suffers from rubeola (infection caused by a virus) during pregnancy, the baby can be born with cataract. Thanks to the vaccination and medical monitoring of future mothers, this phenomenon is, fortunately, much less common than in the past.