Cataracts are one of the most commonly known eye diseases that every 4/10 people suffer from at least once in their lives. The elderly are more likely to be a victim of this disease. People who live for more than 80 years are given a high chance of getting a cataract in either one or both of their eyes.
If left untreated, a cataract can potentially cause blindness. So, what exactly, is a cataract? How do you deal with it? In this article, we will be going through everything you need to know about cataracts.
Causes
Cataracts are caused due to protein building up in your retina. Your eyes refract light rays into them. These light rays that go into your eyes are the reason you are able to see. The process of refraction occurs on the walls of your lenses. Basically, the lenses of your eyes are the main gateway of light rays into your eyes. The protein we mentioned earlier can build up in your lenses, giving you a cloudy view. This cloud of protein is what a cataract is. For your eye to do its job perfectly, it must have a transparent lens through which light can be refracted clearly. If the protein build-up is not taken care of, it can increase more and more to the point that no light will pass through, which is complete blindness.
So, what causes cataracts to happen in the first place? Oxidative stress is the reason. Oxidative stress can be caused due to old age or an unhealthy lifestyle. It is an imbalance that occurs when free radicals and antioxidants are not stable in your body. Unhealthy habits such as eating too much junk food, smoking, and exposure to high levels of pollution can cause oxidative stress in your body. One thing leads to another, and your eyes have to pay the price.
Symptoms
Symptoms of cataracts include cloudy or blurry vision but no pain. No matter how much you rub your eyes, sleep, or clean your prescription glasses, for some reason you cannot see clearly. This condition gets worse at night in low exposure environments. This problem can emerge for old people after they cross the age of sixty-five. Young people are not immune to this condition either. Constant smoking, alcohol consumption, and other unhealthy habits can certainly lead to dangerous diseases, including cataracts.
Treatment
As the old saying goes, care is better than treatment. And the same applies here. Preventing cataracts to develop inside your eyes is your best shot. Try maintaining an ideal lifestyle with exercise and a healthy diet. Quit harmful habits that can potentially risk your eye health.
Furthermore, if you do happen to notice symptoms of cataracts, then see your optometrist ASAP. Having time on your side while dealing with this problem is a must. A cataract can be treated in its early stages through medicine and other methods. But if it is left untreated, a cataract can grow, which leads to no other option than to remove it through surgery. Therefore, we believe prevention should be your priority.
Always remember that regular eye checkups once a year is necessary for maintaining good eye health. If you do happen to see any similar symptoms, do not wait for long and see an optometrist immediately.