Cataract called partial or complete clouding of the lens - the natural optical lens of the human eye.
As a result of cataracts impaired capacity of the eyes to light rays, resulting in reduced vision, decreased sharpness and blur images. The disease tends to progression and without treatment can lead to complete blindness.
The disease occurs at any age, but the vast majority of cases occur after age 60, men and women suffer cataracts about the same.
Causes
Lens - especially human body, which is a natural lens, capable of changing its curvature depending on the conditions, and to focus rays on the retina stream. Any change in the structure of the lens is immediately reflected on the ability to clearly see the image.
When cataract is a gradual clouding of the lens medium, because of which there is a progressive decrease in vision. The exact cause of cataracts for today is not installed, there are several theories to explain the origin of cataracts.
Emphasizes the theory of free radical destruction of the lens tissue, due to which molecules are formed opaque, making muddy cloth. Over the life of free radicals accumulate in the body, and affect, in particular, and on the organ of vision.
Factors contributing to the development of cataracts, consider:
- massive ultraviolet irradiation to eye disease,
- deficiency of antioxidants in the diet,
- age-related lens power,
- frequent inflammatory diseases of the eye - glaucoma, Retinal problems,
- exhaustion, poor nutrition, anemia,
- toxic effects on the body,
- endocrine diseases (diabetes, tetany)
- injury and contusion eye,
- severe myopia, uveitis,
- family history of cataracts in the family.
Separately isolated congenital cataract, as a result of toxic effects on the fetus, infectious disorders or metabolite. Cataracts can be one of the symptoms of genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, intrauterine infection sign. Usually in such cases, it is combined with multiple malformations.
Kinds
All cataract originally divided into two groups:
- congenital, with which the child is born. They have a fairly stable over limited and do not progress.
- acquired, formed during life, it is usually already at an advanced age. Such cataracts tend to progression, increase the area affected and the degree of turbidity of the lens.
Acquired cataract are:
- senile (senile)
- traumatic,
- arising as a complication of eye diseases,
- toxic and radiation arising as a complication of unfavorable external influences.
cataract maturity stage
Cataracts - a phasic disease, each of the steps is characterized by its own set of symptoms and changes in lens tissues. Cataract is the property of "mature" through a series of successive stages:
- seed maturation, when the symptoms are mild, and almost do not interfere with vision,
- immature cataract, when the clouding progresses, and there are areas with normal turbidity zones,
- mature cataract, lens condenses and becomes cloudy, vision suffers significantly until sensation only light,
- overripe cataract, the lens is wrinkled and deformed, there is complete blindness. In this step, can be attached in the form of complications fakogennoy (associated with the destruction of the lens) glaucoma, rupture of the lens capsule with the development iridocyclitis (inflammation of the iris).
Cataract maturation process can last from a few months up to 10-15 years, depending on the cause, age, and many of the attendant conditions.
symptoms of cataract
Degree of manifestation will depend on the current stage of cataract.
In the initial stage of the cataract patient can not even guess, as visual acuity is almost not affected.
May attract attention:
- signs of ghosting objects (diplopia)
- feeling flickering flies in his eyes,
- periods of "fog" in the eyes,
- staining items in the yellowish tint.
For the initial manifestations of cataract may have difficulties in reading or writing books, working with small objects.
When cataract eye overly sensitive to bright light, on a sunny day patients without uncomfortable sunglasses, night vision abruptly worsens, weakening the perception of colors and shades, reading very bright lighting is required when looking at the light source appear in the eyes "Ghosting".
Gradually progressing myopia, and people suffering from the disease to the farsightedness may show temporary improvement of near vision without glasses. However, as the process progresses, the image you see a man begins to fade, the voltage the eye does not help, and to correct vision with glasses and can not, even if the amount of change diopters.
When immature, and then at a mature cataract, abruptly starts to decrease visual acuity, object vision is lost, while there is only a sense of light and darkness. Color black pupil gradually becomes white, like milk.
methods of diagnosis
The diagnosis is established when ophthalmologic examination with holding:
- visometry (determined acuity)
- perimetry (visual field is determined)
- tonometry (level of intraocular pressure).
Also checked color perception, conducted biomicroscopy (eyeball examined by slit lamp) and ophthalmoscopy with the study of the ocular fundus.
If you can not view the fundus due to lens opacity, use the method autooftalmoskopii to assess receptor system on the retina.
Also apply Oftalmometres and refractometers, ultrasound and ultrasound eye biomicroscopy to assess tactics subsequent operation and calculation of the lens power of the future artificial lens. Also parallel to assess the condition of the optic nerve and retina electrooculography, retinographia and other methods.
cataract treatment
There are two methods of treatment: conservative and operative.
Conservative methods useful in the early stages, using special eyedrops (taufon, oftan-Katahrom) to retard opacification processes.
Also, use drugs to activate the enzyme, resolving turbidity (kvinaks), but these drugs do not give high efficiency.
The main method of treatment - removal of the lens to its replacement with an artificial (intraocular lens).
Today, several methods are applicable steps:
- extracapsular extraction,
- intracapsular extraction,
- ultrasonic fakoemulsiya,
- laser treatment.
In extracapsular cataract extraction is removed as the nucleus of the lens, and the lens weight, with the left eye in the posterior capsule of the lens.
When intracapsular removal of the lens is removed entirely from the whole capsule. Complex and traumatic surgery, the physician requires a lot of skill and a long rehabilitation.
Today widespread ultrasonic or laser methods fakoemulsii followed by implanting an artificial lens. Because the laser lens or ultrasound evaporated or removed lens material, introducing in its place the lens.
These methods can solve the problem of complex problems, combining with cataract astigmatism or presbyopia, Glaucoma.
Forecast
Left untreated cataracts inevitably leads to progressive blindness, but the time of onset can vary from 1-2 to 15 years.
Conservative therapy is not very effective, and is a preparatory stage before the operation. Only operation will restore vision and restore the ability to work. The operation carries risks, there can be complications, approximately 1.5% of cases. Particularly difficult to correct congenital forms of cataract.
