Cataracts, the "killer" of vision in the elderly

Author: Ma Jianli, deputy chief physician, Weifang Eye Hospital, Shandong Province

Reviewer: Li Congling, Chief Physician, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University

In the long river of life, our bodies will gradually show the traces of time, and the eyes, as the windows to the soul, are no exception. Cataracts, a common eye disease among the elderly, are threatening the vision health of many people. Today, let's take a deeper look at the relevant knowledge of cataracts, the "killer" of vision in the elderly.

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1. What is cataract?

Cataract, in short, is an eye disease that causes blurred vision or even blindness due to the decreased transparency of the lens in the eye. The lens is a transparent structure located inside the eyeball, which is originally responsible for adjusting the angle at which light enters the eye and ensures that the image can be projected clearly onto the retina. However, when the lens becomes cloudy for various reasons, the transmittance of light decreases, thus affecting vision.

Cataracts are caused by a variety of factors, including aging, heredity, metabolic abnormalities, trauma, radiation, poisoning, local nutritional disorders, and certain systemic metabolic or immune diseases. These factors may directly or indirectly damage the tissue structure of the lens, interfere with its normal metabolism, and eventually lead to gradual opacity of the lens.

2. What symptoms will appear if you have cataracts?

In the early stages of cataracts, patients may only experience a slight decrease in vision and blurred vision, as if a veil is covering their eyes. As the disease progresses, the field of vision becomes more blurred and colors become dim. If not treated in time, it may eventually lead to blindness, seriously affecting the patient's quality of life.

Cataracts are a particularly serious threat to the elderly. As they age, their physical functions gradually decline, and their resistance to and ability to recover from diseases also weaken accordingly. Therefore, once they develop cataracts, their ability to take care of themselves will be greatly reduced.

3. How to treat cataracts?

Currently, the only effective way to treat cataracts is surgery. Commonly used cataract surgeries include extracapsular cataract extraction, manual small-incision extracapsular cataract extraction, phacoemulsification and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract extraction. They use different methods to replace the cloudy lens with a transparent artificial lens to quickly improve the patient's vision. Among them, femtosecond laser-assisted cataract extraction achieves knife-free operation, which is safer and more precise, further improving the success rate of the operation and the comfort of the patient.

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4. Care after cataract surgery

Cataract surgery usually takes a short time, and patients can go home the same day after surgery. The recovery period after surgery is relatively short, but patients still need to follow the doctor's advice, have regular checkups, pay attention to eye hygiene, and avoid rubbing their eyes with their hands. Patients should not expose their eyes to water for 1 week after surgery, and need to wear goggles or metal eye shields. During the recovery period, patients should avoid strenuous exercise and prolonged use of their eyes. In addition, patients also need to use topical medications such as eye drops to promote eye recovery. If any discomfort or abnormality occurs, you should consult a doctor in time.

5. How to prevent cataracts?

Although the occurrence of cataracts is related to many factors, it is not unpreventable. The following are some effective preventive measures.

1. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: Both smoking and excessive drinking increase the risk of cataracts, so it is recommended that the elderly quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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2. Proper diet: Eating foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E can help slow the development of cataracts. These nutrients have strong antioxidant effects and can protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.

3. Sun protection and eye protection: Ultraviolet rays are one of the important factors that cause cataracts. Therefore, when the elderly are outdoors, they should wear sunglasses with ultraviolet protection to reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays to the eyes.

4. Do eye exercises: Doing eye exercises regularly can promote blood circulation in the eyes, relieve eye fatigue, and help prevent eye diseases such as cataracts.

5. Regular physical examinations: The elderly should go to the eye department for regular physical examinations to detect and treat eye diseases such as cataracts in a timely manner.

Cataract is one of the most common eye diseases among the elderly, which poses a serious threat to their vision. However, by understanding the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention measures of cataract, we can effectively reduce its incidence and impact. At the same time, after surgery, reasonable care is also the key to ensure smooth recovery of the eyes. Let us pay attention to the vision health of the elderly and create a clearer and better world for them.