CATARACT

• A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of

your eye.
 Lens

• The lens is composed of

transparent, flexible tissue
and is located directly behind
the iris and the pupil.
• It is the second part of your
eye, after the cornea, that
helps to focus light and
images on your retina.
Anatomy of the Eye
• For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy
lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-
up window.
• Most cataracts develop slowly and don't disturb your
eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will
eventually interfere with your vision.
• At first, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help you
deal with cataracts.
• But if impaired vision interferes with your usual
activities, you might need cataract surgery.
Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe,
effective procedure.
What Causes Cataracts?
You develop them when protein builds up in the lens
of your eye and makes it cloudy. This keeps light from
passing through clearly. It can cause you to lose some
of your eyesight.
 Different types of cataracts.
• Age-related.
• Congenital.
• Secondary.
• Traumatic.
What Are the Symptoms?
• Vision that’s cloudy, blurry, foggy, or filmy
• Nearsightedness (in older people)
• Changes in the way you see color
• Problems driving at night (glare from oncoming headlights,
for example)
• Problems with glare during the day
• Double vision in the affected eye
• Trouble with eyeglasses or contact lenses not working well
• The need for bright light when reading and performing
other tasks
• Fading or yellowing of colours
 Risk factors
• Increasing age
• Diabetes
• Excessive exposure to sunlight
• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Previous eye injury or inflammation
• Previous eye surgery
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
 Diagnostic Tests
• Visual acuity test. Using a
chart or a viewing device with
progressively smaller letters,
your eye doctor determines
if you have 20/20 vision or if
your vision shows signs of
impairment.
• Slit-lamp examination. The
microscope is called a slit lamp
because it uses an intense line of
light, a slit, to illuminate your
cornea, iris, lens, and the space
between your iris and cornea.
The slit allows your doctor to
view these structures in small
sections, which makes it easier
to detect any tiny abnormalities.
• Retinal exam. To prepare for a retinal exam, your
eye doctor puts drops in your eyes to open your
pupils wide (dilate). This makes it easier to examine
the back of your eyes (retina). Using a slit lamp or a
special device called an ophthalmoscope, your eye
doctor can examine your lens for signs of a
cataract.
 Prevention
• Have regular eye examinations.
• Quit smoking.
• Manage other health problems.
• Choose a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits
and vegetables.
• Wear sunglasses.
• Reduce alcohol use.
 Surgeries

• Phacoemulsification, or phaco. A small incision is made on the

side of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers
the front of the eye. Your doctor inserts a tiny probe into the
eye.This device emits ultrasound waves that soften and break up
the lens so that it can be removed by suction.
• Laser-assisted cataract surgery (LACS )or laser
cataract surgery — is a modern variation of the
standard phaco cataract procedure. In laser cataract
surgery, a number of steps that traditionally have been
performed with a hand-held surgical instrument are
instead done with a computer-controlled, high-speed
laser for added precision. These steps include: making
the initial incisions in the eye; creating an opening in
the anterior capsule of the lens to gain access to the
cataract; and fragmenting the cloudy lens prior to its
removal from the eye.
Prepared by: Jems Mae Mensurado