“Cataract” is a disease that comes with the elderly in every era. Although it is a natural degeneration, did you know there are other risk factors that can cause cataracts to develop faster, such as having diabetes or high blood pressure? One symptom of cataracts is when you start to see unclearly even in bright places… let’s get to know cataracts.
Can cataracts cause blindness?
The main symptom of cataracts is that the eyes gradually become cloudy and vision becomes unclear. Wearing glasses can help improve vision but not permanently, so you will need to change glasses frequently. You may see double images, and you might see a white haze in the center of the pupil. A clear symptom is difficulty seeing in bright light or sunlight. If left untreated by an ophthalmologist, the cloudiness will worsen, making treatment more difficult and may lead to complications such as glaucoma and eventually blindness.
Once diagnosed with cataracts… how can it be treated?
Treatment for cataracts is done by surgery to insert an artificial lens. There are mainly two methods: using high-frequency ultrasound waves to break the cataract lens into small pieces and then suction them out under local anesthesia without the need for general anesthesia. This is the most popular method today. The other method is laser treatment (Femto Laser Cataract), a new treatment method that cuts the lens with a laser and uses high-frequency waves to break the lens and suction it out like the first method. However, if the patient delays treatment until the cataract is very advanced or mature, these two surgical methods may not be effective. It may be necessary to use a blade to remove the old lens, which results in a larger wound and slower recovery compared to the initial methods.
Can we prevent cataracts?
There are ways to slow down the degeneration of the lens or cornea by taking good care of your eye health, such as getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, wearing sunglasses when going out in the sun, not overusing your eyes, and taking breaks. If you work staring at something for a long time, you should rest your eyes every hour. Also, have your eyes checked annually if you are over 40 years old to slow down the degeneration of the lens.
