How it manifests itself
- Gradual blurring of vision, feeling of a veil or fogged glass
- Deterioration of vision at dusk or, conversely, blinding by bright lights and headlights
- Halos and rainbow circles around light sources
- Reduced color brightness, everything looks yellowish and faded
- Frequent changes of glasses, which quickly cease to suit you
- Temporary improvement in near vision - you can read without glasses; this is not a recovery, but a sign of a change in the optics of the lens
- Double vision in one eye
Reasons
- Age is the main reason; after 60 years, changes in the lens are found in most
- Diabetes mellitus - cataracts develop earlier and faster
- Long-term use of glucocorticosteroids, including drops
- Eye injuries and surgeries, inflammatory diseases
- Ultraviolet without protection, smoking
- Congenital cataracts in children require early detection, otherwise amblyopia will develop
Diagnostics
- Проверка остроты зрения и подбор коррекции.
- Осмотр на щелевой лампе с расширенным зрачком — позволяет увидеть степень и тип помутнения.
- Измерение внутриглазного давления — исключение сопутствующей глаукомы.
- Осмотр глазного дна — оценка сетчатки и зрительного нерва; при плотной катаракте выполняют УЗИ глаза.
- Оптическая биометрия — точное измерение параметров глаза для расчёта силы искусственной линзы.
Operation
The only treatment method is surgical. The modern operation is called phacoemulsification: through a microincision of about 2 mm, the cloudy lens is destroyed with ultrasound, removed and a folding intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted in its place.
- Performed on an outpatient basis, under local drip anesthesia, takes 15–20 minutes
- Sutures are usually not required; the incision seals itself
- Vision begins to improve in the first days, the final result is in a few weeks
- The second eye is usually operated on a few weeks after the first.
- After the operation, drops are used for several weeks and loads are limited.
The outdated idea that cataracts must “mature” does not apply today. On the contrary: overripe cataracts are harder, the operation is technically more difficult, and the risk of complications is higher. Surgery should be performed when vision begins to interfere with normal life - work, reading, driving.
What types of lenses are there?
- Monofocal - provides clear vision at one distance, often into the distance; reading glasses are required. The most predictable and reliable option
- Toric – additionally corrects astigmatism
- Multifocal - provides both distance and near vision, but in some patients it causes halos around lights at night
- With UV and blue light protection - most modern models have it
After surgery
- Instill the prescribed drops strictly according to the scheme
- Do not rub your eye, do not sleep on the side of the operated eye for the first days
- Avoid heavy lifting, bending, baths and swimming pools for a month
- Wearing sunglasses outside
- Appear for follow-up examinations - the next day, a week later and a month later
- Call immediately if there is pain, redness, or blurred vision.
After months or years, some patients develop secondary cataracts - clouding of the posterior capsule that supports the lens. This is not a relapse: the problem is solved in a minute with a laser procedure without incisions.
