A cataract is a clouding of the originally clear eye lens.
This slowly worsens the vision; people affected feel their vision blurring more and more, as if they were looking through a veil or through fog. With time the contrasts and colors continue to blur. Some people become very sensitive to glare caused by the sun or by lamps. This often makes driving more stressful, especially at night or in the twilight. Faulty vision increases the risk of falling and of subsequent injuries. Also, this has a negative influence on spatial vision.
Cataract Development
The natural lens of the eye is just behind the pupil. It consists of transparent proteins that have special optical refractive properties. In most cases, lens opacities occur from the age of 65 due to the natural aging process (senile cataract). In addition, injuries, chronic inflammation in the eye or the use of certain medications can also be the cause of cataracts. In rarer cases, cataracts can also be congenital or hereditary.
The name 'cataract' comes from 'stare' or 'stare'. In the past, when cataract surgery was not yet possible or not possible in this form, people slowly went blind with increasing clouding of the lens. The stare of the blind led to the name 'Star'. In the most severe form, the so-called mature (mature) cataract, the lens is milky white-grey. This can then even be perceived with the naked eye behind the pupil as a gray cloudiness.
Cataract means waterfall
'Cataract' comes from the Greek and means 'waterfall', also giving its name to this gray cloudiness of the mature cataract, which must have looked like a frozen waterfall to people.
In the case of a cataract, the body’s own lens starts to cloud slowly. The natural lens (crystalline lens) consists of proteins, which are densely packed and thus regularly ensure the natural transparency of the lens. Protective proteins (so-called crystallines) ensure that the lens fibrils are arranged regularly. If these protective proteins fail due to oxidative stress then the proteins agglutinate which in turn leads to a progressive loss of transparency – an opacity, clouding of the lens, progresses. This is more or less a natural aging process.
Age-related cataracts
In most cases (about 90%) a cataract is due to aging, the term used for this is senile cataract or age-related cataract. A cataract can also be caused by metabolic diseases such as Diabetes mellitus or lack of calcium (hypocalcemia), hyperparathyroidism or galactosemia. Inflammations within the eye, eye injuries or previous eye surgery, as well as the prolonged use of certain medication (such as cortisone) may lead to the early onset of a cataract.
Congenital cataracts
In rare cases, a cataract may be congenital. Rubella during pregnancy may for example cause cataracts in babies.
Your ophthalmologist will determine whether the cause of your symptoms is actually a cataract during a thorough overall examination of the eye. Thereby other concomitant eye diseases can also be detected. Depending on the result of the examination, your benefit gained from removing the cataract can be estimated.
The age-related cataract appears from the age of 60 on. According to statistics, about half of all 50 to 65-year olds have a a clouded lens without noticing. This is because no vision disorder is noticeable at the beginning. From the age of 65, almost everyone will have a clouded lens.
- A typical symptom is a slow, painless deterioration of vision, as if looking through a dirty window or through a veil that gradually becomes thicker.
- A glare sensitivity is often noticed, which is annoying, for example, when driving at night.
- The perception of color and contrast also changes.
- Sometimes patients observe double contours in one eye. Glasses may also change.
- Glasses may also change. That way, patients who used to wear glasses, can suddenly see better without them. This is because the refractive power of the eye changes and with it the ability to clearly see objects closely or at a distance. However, this enhanced sense of vision usually does not last very long.
The only method of treating cataracts is cataract surgery.
In the process, the body’s own clouded lens is liquified using high frequency ultrasound and then aspirated (phacoemulsification). What remains is the capsular bag into which an artificial lens (intraocular lens) is then implanted. Then the vision becomes unclouded again. The surgery is most often done under local anesthesia (drop anesthesia) and is almost painless.
Here you will find all information about cataract surgery.
There are no scientific studies proving that certain preventive measures lower the risk of a cataract. Due to the natural aging process almost all people over 65 will have a clouded lens. If this also leads to worsening vision or subjective symptoms, surgery may be considered.
Factors Favoring a cataract are:
- Ultraviolet rays
- Infrared rays
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Malnutrition
- Eye injuries
- Medication (such as cortisone)
