What is a cataract?
It is the opacity of the lens or lens of the eye, which must be transparent so that light can pass through to the retina. Is like a clouded glass through which you can not see through it.
Crystal Clear normal and dilated pupil:
Clouded lens (cataract) normal and dilated pupil:
Causes of cataract
Congenital, which should be diagnosed at birth of the baby, and mostly require early surgical treatment to prevent permanent visual loss.
It has been estimated that between 10 and 38.8% of all blindness in children caused by congenital cataracts and 0.4% of newborns have some form of congenital cataracts.
With a prevalence of 1 to 4/10.000 children in industrialized countries and 5 to 15/10.000 in developing countries.
Acquired: may be due to many factors such as
Senile or age-related (the most common)
Can be related to traumatic stroking the head or direct in the eye and should be diagnosed and treated promptly to improve the prognosis of the patient
Metabolic: Diabetic patients and can occur mainly at early ages.
Secondary to prior ocular surgical procedures
Secondary to prolonged steroid use
Frequency:
The most common cause of cataracts is senility. It is estimated that over 75% of people over 75 have in their crystalline opacities.
Symptoms of cataracts:
* The vision becomes blurred without pain;
* Glare or light sensitivity;
* Frequent changes in lens prescription;
* Double vision in one eye;
* The need for brighter light for reading;
* Night vision very poor;
* The colors are faded or yellowed.