Treatment of Cataract

If you have been diagnosed with cataracts, there are treatment options to consider before choosing surgery to replace the cloudy lens. Cataract treatment can involve non-surgical methods to improve vision symptoms as well as surgery to remove the cloudy lens. The type and severity of the cataract will determine the best treatment for you.

What are Cataracts?

Cataracts are a clouding or opacity of the natural lens of the eye. The lens is the clear, flexible tissue behind the pupil. Along with the cornea, the lens focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye.

What Causes Cataracts?

The lens is made up of water and proteins. As proteins break down over time, the clumped proteins make the lens cloudy, making it difficult to see clearly.

Some things that can speed up the formation of cataracts include:

• Diabetes
• Medications used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
• Phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine, are used to treat a variety of conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
• Eye surgery or eye injuries
• Radiation therapy to the upper body
• Direct exposure to the sun without eye protection, such as sunglasses

What are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

Cataracts are common with age and aging, and some of the most common symptoms of cataracts include:

• Blurred or cloudy vision
• Sensitivity to bright sunlight
• Seeing halos around lights, especially when driving at night with oncoming headlights
• Changes in vision prescription due to sudden nearsightedness
• Double vision
• Needing bright light for reading
• Weak night vision
• Changes in color vision

Types of Cataracts

Before we discuss the treatment of cataracts, let's know what types of cataracts are:

1. Nuclear cataract: This is the most common type of cataract, which forms in the center of the lens and gradually deteriorates and affects vision.
2. Cortical cataract: It is a cataract that starts near the edge of the lens and then moves to the center of the eye.
3. Congenital cataract: It is the opacity of the lens that appears at birth in one or both eyes.
4. Cataract caused by trauma: It may occur anywhere on the lens.
5. Posterior cataract: This type of cataract develops faster than other types. Symptoms usually affect vision around bright light.

What happens if you leave cataracts untreated?

Although the early stages of cataracts may not be noticeable, and simple intervention and treatment of cataracts in the eye without surgery is possible, you may experience symptoms that include:

• Blurred or cloudy vision.
• Deterioration of color perception.
• Problems with vision, especially at night.
• Hypersensitivity to light and glare.
• Distorted vision, due to the formation of halos around lights and double vision.

How to treat cataracts in the eye

Treatment of cataracts in the eye without surgery

When the symptoms of cataracts begin to appear, you may be able to improve vision and treat cataracts in the eye without surgery using:

• New glasses.
• Contact lenses
• Magnifying glasses.
• Wearing sunglasses.
• Adding some dyes and coatings to the lenses to reduce symptoms.
• Wearing a hat when you are outside in addition to high-quality sunglasses to help prevent further cataracts.
• Appropriate lighting.

Other treatment options may include surgery to remove the opacity of the lens, especially if the cataracts have begun to affect the patient's life.

Surgery to treat cataracts in the eye

The doctor may recommend surgery to remove the lens and replace it with an artificial lens.

Steps of cataract surgery

The doctor will perform some tests to measure the size and shape of the eye to choose the best artificial lens, one or two weeks before the procedure. The doctor will ask the patient not to eat or drink for 12 hours before surgery. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia so that you do not feel pain, in addition to taking some medications to help you relax before the procedure. The surgeon removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial lens. The new lens is clear and customized to your visual needs, and the procedure takes no more than an hour.

What are the types of cataract lenses?

The types of lenses after cataract surgery are divided into two main types, which are:

Hard lenses The use of hard lenses has decreased significantly in recent times after the emergence of modern techniques used in cataract surgery such as ultrasound and femto laser.

Soft lenses are the most common type of lenses after cataract surgery at present, and they are divided into many types:

Monofocal lenses Monofocal lenses help to improve the level of vision for distant distances, and these lenses achieve good night vision for the patient, they have two types: spherical lenses and aspheric lenses.

Refractive lenses (toric lenses) Toric lenses are modern lenses that help to correct the problem of astigmatism for cataract patients.

Multifocal lenses Multifocal lenses are used to correct vision for near and far distances together, and there has been a breakthrough in the manufacture of these lenses that has made them suitable and comfortable for many patients.

What happens after cataract surgery?

After cataract surgery, you will need to rest for a day or two. You may experience some side effects, such as:

• Itching
• Mild pain
• Tearing
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision

You may need to use eye drops for several weeks after surgery. The drops help with healing, prevent infection, and control eye pressure.

You should avoid the following:

• Touching your eyes
• Lifting heavy objects
• Doing anything that could injure your eye

Your eyes will fully heal within eight weeks, but you can resume most daily activities as soon as the day after surgery.

Is cataract surgery safe?

Cataract surgery is one of the safest eye surgeries available. The risk of complications is low, especially when the surgery is performed by an experienced surgeon.

Does vision improve after cataract surgery?

You may experience some blurriness for a few days after cataract removal, but your vision will improve over the first few weeks after the procedure.

90% of people see better after cataract surgery, but you may need to wear glasses or contact lenses after surgery.

Do you need cataract surgery again in the future?

In rare cases, secondary cataracts can occur. These are cataracts that develop on the surface of the artificial lens after weeks, months, or years of surgery.

Secondary cataracts can be fixed with a quick laser surgery that takes only five minutes. The eye doctor uses a laser to create a hole in the lens to allow light to pass through again. Vision improves within 24 hours of the procedure.

Can cataracts be prevented?

Cataracts are a symptom of aging, but there are some things you can do to protect your eye health and slow down the process:

• Get regular eye exams
• Quit smoking
• Wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim to keep the sun out of your eyes

Conclusion

It is normal for the eyes to develop cataracts and vision problems as you age. However, cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures available. It is quick and relatively painless, and vision improves for 90% of people. Complications are rare.

If you are concerned about cataracts or other eye problems, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Osama Hakim, a consultant ophthalmologist, and founder and director of Tiba Eye Center in Egypt.