You changed your glasses three times last year, you see halos around street lights at night, your vision is blurred or you're seeing double, you don't see the colour blue as well as before but you see warm colours very well ...

You may have a cataract and should see an eye doctor to find out. If you do, don't panic! Over half the population over 65 and more than 70% of people over 75 have cataracts. While some children may have congenital cataracts (Down Syndrome) or cataracts due to an illness contracted by their mother during pregnancy (measles), this condition is usually related to aging.

To understand what a cataract is, it is helpful to know how the eye works. The eye is actually a kind of photographic device which captures the light reflected by everything we see. The light passes through the cornea of the eye and a structure called the "crystalline lens", which protects it onto an area of the retina called the "macula". Located at the back of the eye, the macula is where the image comes into focus. It is the "film" which captures the image before sending it to the brain via the optic nerve.

A cataract results from opacification of the crystalline lens - somewhat like a cloud blocking your view of the sun or fingerprints smudging the lenses of your glasses.

When someone has a cataract, light does not pass through the eye the way it used to and problems with vision occur. These develop differently from one person to another and, in some cases, may even have a beneficial effect by compensating for other diseases of the eye. Thus, some people with presbyopia (difficulty seeing objects close up) will see an improvement in their vision because the cataract causes a sort of myopia (difficult seeing objects far away).

Surgery is the only effective treatment for cataracts; they cannot be treated with drugs. Cataract surgery is rarely an emergency. Cataracts are not tumours. They do not get bigger and cause only visual problems. This is why cataract surgery is often postponed in people whose vision is good enough to allow them to function properly, provided that the cataract does not prevent the monitoring of another eye condition. In the meantime, a new eye glass prescription, stronger lighting or magnifying glasses may help alleviate the effects of the cataract. A cataract is operated on when the vision is impaired to the point where daily activities are being adversely affected.

While hereditary or degenerative factors contribute to the development of cataracts, the exact causes are unknown. Cataracts are clearly associated with aging. Some cynics might say, that if you live long enough, you're going to hove them sooner or later. Some factors contributing to the development of cataracts are listed in the table below.

Other poorly-controlled conditions (diabetes, hypocalcemia)

Prolonged use of cortisone-based drugs

Certain toxins (tobacco, alcohol, etc.)

Cataracts are usually operated on under local anesthesia in a day surgery setting. At 95%, this procedure has one of the highest surgical success rates.

In most cases, the ophthalmologist only removes the front part of the crystalline lens, leaving the rear capsule in place. into this capsule that a new intraocular lens is implanted.

After the surgery, a dressing is applied to the eye and drops are prescribed. To prevent complications such as infection or inflammation, it is very important to follow the doctor's instructions regarding the removal of the dressing and the use of drops. As your vision does not return immediately, it is often helpful to have someone close to you instill the drops in your eyes. Your pharmacist can help you by indicating how and in what order to put in the drops and by opening the bottles for you the first time.

Always remember that when more than one type of drops is prescribed, you should wait 5 to 10 minutes after putting one type of drop in your eye before you put another type in the same eye.

Your doctor will tell you what precautions to take after surgery - Your vision may take a few months to stabilize. After that, some people may be able to get rid of their glasses, but there is no guarantee.

Surgery is rarely performed more than once on the same eye to remove a cataract. However, in 20 to 30% of cases, the rear capsule of the crystalline lens in which the implant is inserted will become cloudy in the months or years following the surgery. In that case the doctor will have you come back to his/her office and operate with a YAG laser. While cataracts will often affect both eyes, fortunately, there is always one eye which can wait longer to be operated on. The surgery is done an the most affected eye first. It is then allowed to heal before operating an the other eye. Sometimes, a cataract may mask more serious problems with the retina. In these cases, the surgery exposes the true problem and the patient may think that the surgery has failed. However, the visual problems these patients experience after the surgery have nothing to do with the cataract. They are usually due to diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration.

To delay the development of cataracts, you should never go outside without wearing glasses with the appropriate UV protection. People with diabetes or glucose intolerance should make sure that they properly control their blood sugar levels. By doing so, they will delay the development of cataracts as long as possible.

Using certain antioxidant vitamin supplements to prevent cataracts is the subject of much debate. Some professionals recommend a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium. While these combinations have been shown to be safe at the doses recommended, further studies are required to confirm whether they offer any true protection.

Courtesy - Liverpool Pharmacy 715 Krosno Blvd