Cataract treatment in the elderly

After fifty years, many elderly people face such a problem as cataracts. This disease affects about seventeen million people in the world. According to the WHO, almost every person at the age of eighty meets cataracts.

Both at a young age, and in an elderly cataract requires compulsory treatment. Without it, a complete loss of vision is threatened by a person.

In this article, we will tell you why cataracts occur, how to prevent its occurrence. And in the event that you or your loved ones are faced with this problem, then for you here you will find useful information about the methods of treatment for this serious illness.

What it is

Cataract is an eye disease that develops as a result of the fact that the lens becomes less and less transparent with age, and this in turn leads to a decrease in vision.

Often in the elderly you can see a cloudy lens, whereas at a young age it is not visible, since it is transparent and is behind the iris. The cloudy lens does not let out rays of light, which prevents a person from perceiving the colors of the surrounding world.

Cataract in most cases develops immediately in both eyes, and on one of them it can progress much faster.

Types of cataract:

• Nuclear.In this case, the center of the lens is affected. Nuclear cataracts occur in most elderly people.
• Cortical.The bark, which envelops the lens outside, becomes cloudy.
• Subcapsular.The anterior or posterior part of the capsule of the lens becomes turbid. Subcapsular cataracts progress at a fairly rapid rate. With this form of cataract, vision deteriorates more than in the case of nuclear and cortical cataracts.

Causes

The main cause of cataract development in the elderly is the change in the structure of the proteins of the lens, which leads to its clouding.

In addition, the development of cataracts is facilitated by:

• Obtained eye injuries of any nature.
• Eye diseases, for example, high degree myopia and glaucoma.
• Problems with the endocrine system, such as diabetes, metabolic disorders.
• Poisoning by various toxic substances (mercury, naphthalene and others).
• Various kinds of irradiation (ultraviolet, radiation and so on).
• Genetic predisposition to cataract.
• Medications taken for a long time (statins, phenothiazines).
• High radiation background of the environment.
• Bad ecology.
• Harmful habits (smoking, improper nutrition).

Symptoms

Cataract is characterized by the manifestation of such a symptom as blurred vision.A man looks through a cloudy glass. The further the cataract progresses, the more pronounced is the flashing before the eyes of different spots and strips.In addition, a person begins to react painfully to light sources and to perceive colors poorly.

If recently I had to change glasses several times, this indicates the beginning of the development of cataracts.

In most cases, if the cataract is not started, then there are no redness and pain sensations.

Stages of cataract:

1. Initial stage.Characterized by clouding the lens along the periphery.
2. Immature stage.Opacification goes to the central zone of the lens. Vision significantly falls.
3. Mature stage.The lens becomes completely cloudy. Vision remains only at the level of perception of colors.
4. Perezrelaya stage.Fibers of the lens dissolve, and he becomes milky-white.

How to keep vision in cataract

Diagnostics

Only an ophthalmologist can diagnose cataracts. In the case of cataracts, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible, but most people prefer to delay the trip to the hospital until the problems get worse.

The main way to diagnose cataracts is to examine the fundus. It is this method that can determine the presence of certain pathological changes.

Anatomy of the lens

To study the health of the eyes more in-depth, biomicroscopy is used.It is based on the use of a slit lamp, which allows you to direct and illuminate the lens.In addition to these two methods of diagnosis, an examination of the retina of the eye with an enlarged pupil can be performed. During the examination with an ophthalmologist, the doctor can see a different manifestation of cataracts. Everything depends on its kind. Thus, the anterior cataract manifests itself in the form of a spot of white color, which has even boundaries.

The posterior cataract is represented as a white ball, the central cataract also has the shape of a two-millimeter ball, which is located in the center of the lens.The clinical picture of a spindle-shaped cataract is a thin spindle along the entire length of the lens. If the lens becomes cloudy and forms a dense bag, the doctor can diagnose a dense soft cataract. Diabetic cataract looks like white flakes on the surface of the lens, while the iris can vary.

The structure of the lens

Treatment

Unfortunately, cataracts can not be treated with medication. They are aimed only at containing the progression of the disease.Therefore, cataracts can be cured only with the help of a surgical operation, which consists in removing the lens and replacing it with a special lens.

The main methods of surgical cataract removal:

• Phacoemulsification- this is the destruction of the lens under the influence of ultrasound oscillations. The parts that break up are removed.
• Extracapsular extraction- is the removal of the lens completely without dividing it into parts.
• Intracapsular extractionIs the complete removal of the lens and its capsules.

A modern and relatively new method is femtolaser extraction. Thanks to the use of a femtosecond laser, accuracy and safety of operation are ensured.

Stages of carrying out femtolaser extraction of cataract:

1. A cut is made on the cornea;
2. The front capsule of the lens is opened;
3. Laser destruction of the lens (destruction).

Implantation of intraocular lens

Complications

If you start a cataract and do not take any measures to treat it, then the disease will reach a neglected stage, when the lens swells and takes up almost the entire space of the anterior chamber of the eye.This leads to the fact that the intraocular fluid can not normally flow out. Because of this, a very dangerous and serious complication develops - a secondary glaucoma. In the case of an irresponsible attitude, you can completely lose the ability to see.

Prevention

Preventive measures are aimed at preventing the harmful effects of cataract development. It should be remembered that it is necessary to conduct timely diagnostics and treatment of all eye diseases, which can provoke the turbidity of the lens.

To reduce the likelihood of developing cataract in old age, you need to pay attention to the following preventive measures:

1. When in the sun, you should wear sunglasses with light filters.They will protect your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
2. The daily diet should include foods with lots of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
3. A healthy lifestyle will prevent the occurrence of any diseases, including eye diseases.Therefore, it is necessary to abandon bad habits and begin to engage in physical education and eat right.
4. In the case of diabetes, it is strongly recommended that the blood sugar be tightly controlled.

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conclusions

Cataract can lead to complete loss of vision. Therefore, do not be afraid of going to the doctor, it is better to diagnose this disease in time and begin treatment. In no case should one resort to self-medication, as it can aggravate the situation. Cataracts are usually treated with surgery, but there's nothing to worry about. Most diseases that are so global in ophthalmology are subject to surgery, for example, dacryocystitis, but in 99% of cases the outcome is positive.