Cataract | Symptoms | Double Vision | Diopter Change
Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye, leading to a loss of transparency, preventing it from reaching the pupil. Cataracts make vision worse by making everything look hazy and blurry, like if you were trying to see through several layers of vision.
Severe clouding of the lens of the eye can lead to complete blindness. In many cases, cataracts can be removed surgically. Cataract takes a heavy toll on the quality of life of the elderly.
There are many causes of cataracts, and among them are birth defects, eye injuries and diseases such as, for example, diabetes.
However, most cataracts occur as a result of tissue aging, and especially as a result of excessive exposure to the action of free radicals, those superactive oxygen atoms that are able to destroy healthy.
The lens of the eye, like many other body tissues, is dependent on adequate levels of antioxidants that should accelerate the action of free radicals.
Studies have shown that cataract cases are more common in areas that have more sunny days throughout the year.
Although it is not clear why sun exposure increases the risk of developing cataracts, scientists believe that when ultraviolet rays reach the eye, it naturally causes the release of small particles of oxygen — free radicals.
When these unstable oxygen molecules bind to normal body cells (a process known as oxidation), they damage cell membranes. Since eye cells do not have the power to regenerate, eye damage caused by oxidation accumulates, eventually leading to the formation of cataracts.
Recent research suggests that antioxidants can protect against the cumulative effect of oxidative damage, and thus against cataracts.
A study conducted at the State University of New York, Hundred Brook, showed that the chances of developing cataracts are 37 percent lower in people who consume a lot of vitamins, either through a healthy diet, eating fruits and vegetables or by taking multivitamin preparations.
The researchers concluded that antioxidants in fresh produce and/or in vitamins have a strong protective effect against free radicals.
Canadian researchers at the University of Western Ontario, London, studied 175 middle-aged people with cataracts and 175 control subjects who did not have the disease. They found that people who did not have cataracts consumed at least 400 IU daily for at least the previous five years. vitamin E and/or at least 300 mg of vitamin C.
Adequate levels of vitamin E, selenium, carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) and beta-carotene, which are found in many types of fruits and green leafy vegetables, are an integral part of the arsenal of antioxidants necessary for maintaining good vision.
Cataract produces some characteristic signs and symptoms and these are some of them...
Symptom of blurred vision
Blurred vision at any distance is the most common symptom of cataracts. Your vision may appear hazy and blurry. Over time, as the cataract worsens, less light reaches the retina. People with cataracts may find it especially difficult to see and drive at night.
Glare is a symptom of cataracts
Another early symptom of cataracts is glare or sensitivity to light. You may have trouble seeing in bright sunlight. Interior lights that used to not bother you can now seem too irritating. Driving at night can become a problem due to the glare caused by street lights and headlights coming from the opposite direction.
Cataract and double vision in one eye
Sometimes cataracts can cause double vision, known as diplopia, when you look out of one eye. This is different from double vision which comes from the eyes not being aligned properly, which would give you double vision when you look with both eyes together. With cataracts, images can appear double even with only one eye open.
A symptom of cataract is also a change in color
Cataracts can also affect your color vision, making some shades appear washed out. Your vision may gradually take on a brownish or yellowish tint. You may not notice this discoloration at first. But over time, it can become harder to tell the difference between blue and purple.
Cataract and "second sight"
Sometimes a cataract can temporarily improve a person's ability to see up close, as it acts as a stronger lens. This phenomenon is called "second sight", because people who may have once needed reading glasses find that they no longer need them.
Frequent changes in the diopter of glasses or contact lenses can be a sign of cataracts. This is because cataracts are usually progressive, which means that they get worse over time, causing vision to deteriorate more and more quickly.
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