The crystalline lens is a transparent lens located inside the eye that serves primarily to focus images captured on the retina. As such, cataracts are the result of progressive opacification of the crystalline lens, thus decreasing the patient’s visual capacity, since there is a reduction in the amount of light rays that carry images to the cornea.
Cataract patients have diffuse vision, and this will become more so as the crystalline lens becomes more opaque. When this occurs, both colors and shapes are perceived less accurately.
The main cause of cataracts is aging, although in some cases cataracts can be congenital or even result from other pathologies such as diabetes or Down’s Syndrome. In these cases, laser cataract surgery is necessary.
The crystalline lens itself is a kind of biological lens formed by an elastic capsule that contains proteins in a soluble state in its interior, among other things. Over the years, the proteins inside the lens gradually become insoluble, and end up precipitating, losing transparency and elasticity, in some cases turning into cataracts with a high degree of hardness and opacification that seriously compromise vision.
Risk factors for cataracts
It is common for adults over 70 years of age to suffer from cataracts, whether of greater or lesser degree due to aging. However, there are some risk factors that can accelerate their appearance and aggravate their intensity:
- Tobacco
- Diabetes
- Corticosteroids
- Ocular trauma
- Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light
Symptoms and Signs of Cataracts
There are several signs that may alert that a patient has cataracts. They are as follows:
- Change in the patient’s prescription
- A feeling of glare in bright or strong light.
- Cloudy vision
- Decreased visual acuity
Treatment of cataracts
The only way to treat cataracts is by surgery. This mainly consists of removing the part of the crystalline lens that has become opaque and replacing it with an intraocular lens that can fill the empty space left inside the lens.
This procedure lasts about a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes and requires local anesthesia.
As such, the procedure consists of making micro incisions on the edge of the cornea. From there, the anterior face of the lens is removed and its nucleus is fragmented with ultrasonic waves. These fragments are subsequently aspirated and a lens is implanted in the crystalline lens.
If the lens used is multifocal, it will be necessary to wear glasses after the procedure, although it is possible to achieve results that avoid the use of glasses for most daily activities, i.e., a facorefractive procedure.
For more information, please consult an ophthalmology specialist.