Cataract is the most common eye disease that can cause a person to lose the ability to see. This pathology is quite insidious, since in the early stages it is very difficult to identify its symptoms. Causes of cataracts, treatment and prevention will be discussed in this article.
The lens of the eye
It is shaped like a biconvex lens with a flatter front and a convex back surface. It is able to refract and transmit light rays. The average size of the lens: up to 9 mm high, up to 5 mm thick.
With age, its thickness increases, although very slowly. The nucleus and the outer (cortical) layers around it make up the lens. Due to the protein substances included in its composition, it is normally transparent, and in the baby it is also elastic. It easily changes shape, instantly reacting to objects both far and near.
The reasons for developmentcataracts
Factors contributing to clouding of the lens:
- age-related changes;
- hypertension;
- diabetes mellitus;
- eye injury;
- toxic poisoning;
- taking certain medications;
- exposure to direct sunlight for a long period;
- irradiation;
- smoking;
- heredity.
Stages of cataract
There are several stages of the disease:
- Initial. There is a slight opacity, while most of the lens remains transparent.
- Ripening. Vision deteriorates, cloudiness increases in size. In some cases, intraocular pressure increases.
- Mature. The individual completely loses the ability to see, can only distinguish silhouettes.
- Overripe. Cataract symptoms increase, the disease progresses, the lens fibers disintegrate, and it becomes milky.
Regular examination by an ophthalmologist and self-monitoring of your he alth will help to avoid the last, most advanced stage of the disease. Otherwise, the only way out is surgery.
Initial stage of cataract: symptoms and treatment
The first stage of the disease is manifested as follows. Turbidity occurs due to the accumulation of intraocular fluid between the fibers of the lens in the cortical layers. A person does not even suspect that a pathological process has begun in him, since during this periodvision does not deteriorate. Such changes are barely noticeable, so it is quite difficult to detect early symptoms of cataracts. This is due to the fact that opacification has not yet spread to the optical zone of the lens, but is located only on the periphery. However, if a person is attentive to his he alth, he will pay attention to the following signs:
- decrease in visual acuity;
- deterioration of visibility at night;
- decrease in color perception;
- there is a flickering of dots or spots before the eyes;
- blurred vision, manifested by doubling of objects.
Unfortunately, patients do not pay attention to the above symptoms. This stage can last decades for some, and two to three years for others.
At this stage, medicines are prescribed in the form of solutions, eye drops, vitamin complexes, as well as a therapeutic diet. Patients are advised to give up the abuse of alcohol-containing drinks, stop smoking and lead a he althy lifestyle. Drug therapy can stop or slow down the development of the disease. In cases where conservative treatment fails and the disease progresses, it is possible to perform an operation to replace the lens. It may be prescribed before the disease progresses to the last stage.
Ripening cataract
At this stage of the cataract of the eye, the symptoms increase, the opacities spread and occupy an increasing part of the cortical substance of the lens. However, the surface layers still retain transparency. Intraocular pressure increases due to the increased size of the lens, which fills the volume of the anterior chamber. This subsequently leads to another disease called glaucoma. There is a gradual closure of the pupil with a zone of turbidity. The patient begins to see worse. Like the initial stage, this one can last for years.
Stage of mature eye cataract: signs
Symptoms, and there are several, are as follows:
- the patient loses the ability to distinguish between objects;
- sees only beams of light;
- can correctly determine where the light source is.
The lens loses water, decreases in size and takes the form resembling a star. The layers become cloudy, the pupil becomes bright gray or milky white. In this case, surgery is required, after which vision is restored.
Overripe cataract
At this stage, the signs (symptoms) of cataracts increase, the lens fibers are completely destroyed. The nucleus becomes dense and small in size and sinks to the bottom of the chamber. The cortical layer liquefies. If you do not carry out surgical treatment, only a small core will remain, and the capsule will be covered with yellowish-shiny cholesterol plaques. Or maybe the next option. Molecules of protein substances will be destroyed, the lens substance will become liquid, and the osmotic pressure in the capsule will increase. It will resemble a cavity filled with liquid, at the bottom of which lies a small nucleus. Gradually it will become soft and fall apart. Through the capsulethe lens can get into the anterior chamber and then the individual will lose the ability to distinguish colors and light. In this case, the only way out is an operation. However, vision will not be restored.
Signs of cataract in adults
If the clouding of the lens is not treated in the early stages, then the disease will soon begin to progress. Progressive cataracts have different symptoms, however, the main symptoms of cataracts in adults are as follows:
- The lens grows and becomes cloudy rather quickly.
- Significantly reduced visual acuity. Medical attention is required, as the glasses will not be able to solve the growing problems.
- Partial blindness sets in.
The symptoms listed above appear in the absence of timely treatment of the disease at the initial stage.
Congenital cataract
Symptoms of cataracts are clouding of the lens and, as a result, a decrease in visual acuity. In children, it is most often detected before the age of one, however, it can also appear at a later age, after 40 years. Depending on the location of the cloudiness, several types of congenital cataracts are distinguished:
- Layered. Located in the center of the lens. With such a pathology, a bilateral lesion of the organ of vision develops, which significantly reduces its sharpness. This is one of the most common types of disease.
- Capsular. Symptoms of cataract in this case are manifested as follows. The lens is not damaged, but its posterior and anterior capsule suffers. Reducing the degreevisual acuity depends on the shape and size of the clouding, the range of which is from slight to its complete absence.
- Polar. Unlike the previous species, in addition to capsules, the surface of the lens is also affected.
- Nuclear. In this case, the nucleus of the lens in both eyes suffers. The individual may stop seeing.
- Full. The lens becomes completely cloudy, there is no vision, the person has only color perception. This type of pathology is accompanied by other eye diseases.
Causes and signs of congenital cataracts in children
Consider the symptoms and causes of cataracts in babies. Pathology is diagnosed according to the following criteria:
- trembling eyeballs or strabismus;
- inflamed eyelids;
- clouding observed on both or one pupil;
- baby moves her eyes in different directions randomly;
- inability to focus on objects (after two months of age);
- tilts his head forward and starts shaking it;
- constantly turns with the same eye to look at a toy or other objects.
Regular preventive medical examinations of the baby will help to identify this disease in a timely manner and take the necessary preventive and therapeutic measures.
There are several known causes that contribute to the development of this disease:
- insufficient amount of folic acid and vitamins A and E in the body;
- pregnant woman drinking alcohol;
- ether poisoning during gestation;
- birth of a premature baby;
- taking antibiotics or hormones during pregnancy;
- presence of future parents of Lowe's syndrome, Down's syndrome and some other pathologies;
- infectious diseases transferred in the first trimester of pregnancy: rubella, chickenpox, herpes;
- presence of diabetes or hypertension in a pregnant woman;
- Rhesus conflict between baby and parent;
- inflammation of the organs of vision during fetal development.
Symptoms of congenital cataract in adults
Adult individuals should take care of their he alth if the following cataract symptoms appear:
- bifurcation of the contours of objects;
- difficult to distinguish blue and red shades;
- unpleasant sensations appear in the eyes in bright light;
- poor or no visibility at night;
- difficulties when performing work using small objects, as well as when reading;
- appearance before the eyes of small spots or they are also called flies.
Children and adults have different symptoms of cataracts. The reasons for the development of this pathology are the same.
Congenital cataract treatment
When a disease is detected in children at an early stage, its development is stopped using therapeutic methods. In this case, the degree of damage and the impact on the visual system are of great importance. With a negative effect on the organs of vision, surgical intervention is recommended, whichperformed at the age of 1.5–3 months. When diagnosing congenital cataract in an adult at an early stage, medicines are prescribed in the form of drops containing a complex of vitamin substances. They will help stop or slow down its development. In more severe cases, surgery is the only treatment.
Preventive measures after surgery
Recurrent cataracts have been reported after surgery.
To avoid it, preventive measures are recommended:
- eliminate bad habits;
- protect your eyes from the bright rays of the sun;
- include more fruits and vegetables in your diet;
- take vitamin complexes containing vitamins C, E and group B.
Prevention of cataracts by folk methods
The use of medicinal plant materials for the treatment and prevention of various ailments has been used for many centuries. Some tips and recipes, in addition to traditional medicine, are still relevant today. Let's get acquainted in more detail with the measures for the prevention of cataracts (the symptoms and treatment of which were discussed above). To this end, it is recommended to include the following foods in the diet:
- Carrots in any form: fresh, steamed, boiled, dried or dried.
- Bow. All types of onions: onions, leeks, shallots, batun and others.
- Chicken eggs.
- Honey products in the absence of allergic reactions to them.
- Vegetable juices with one or moreingredients: cabbage or carrots, to which parsley herbs are added.
- Grains, sprouted rye or wheat are best.
- Buckwheat flour.
- Fish. More useful from the depths of the sea.
- Tea. Quality green leaf.
All of the above products contain a sufficient amount of carotene, vitamins and other nutrients needed by the organs of vision. Properly selected diet is a good way to prevent and slow down the development of this disease.
Folk recipes used for the prevention of cataracts
- A daily intake of at least one glass of ripe berries of delicious blueberries will be the best preventive measure. In winter, you can use frozen or steamed berries.
- Infusion prepared from: dandelion (leaves), marsh calamus (rhizome), cornflower (flowers), fragrant rue (herb), blueberries (berries), strain. The resulting solution is instilled into the eyes. This recipe is especially effective in the initial stage of the disease.
- From St. John's wort and sage, taken in equal parts, prepare an infusion. Take courses (forty days) at least three times a day before meals, 70 ml.
- Compresses with dill seeds are made with clouding of the lens. Sew small bags of gauze or other material and pour crushed seeds into them. Next, put them in boiling water for a few minutes. Cool the solution that will drain and instill into the eyes. And apply the seed bags to the eyelids for 15-20 minutes.
- Mix equal amounts of fennel and coriander seeds. Tothe resulting mixture in a small amount add brown sugar. Take ten grams in the morning and in the evening at a certain time.
There are other recipes that your doctor may recommend for the prevention of cataracts. You have already familiarized yourself with the causes and symptoms of this disease by reading the article. It should be remembered that in order to obtain a result, it is necessary to carry out the whole range of activities, including therapy prescribed by a doctor, nutrition, herbs, gymnastics, and massage. Doing simple things every day will protect you from developing cataracts.
