Difference between revisions of "Cataract"

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A '''cataract''' is a clouding of the lens in the [[eye]].  Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all people in the United States either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.{{fact}}
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[[File:Cataract in human eye.png|thumb|right|Cataract in a human eye]]A '''cataract''' is a clouding of the lens in the [[eye]].  Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all people in the United States either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.<ref name=NIH2009>{{cite web|title=Facts About Cataract|url=https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts|accessdate=24 May 2015|date=September 2009}}</ref>
  
 
Common symptoms are
 
Common symptoms are
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* Not being able to see well at night
 
* Not being able to see well at night
 
* Double vision
 
* Double vision
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* Frequent prescription changes in your eye wear
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* Frequent prescription changes in your eyewear
  
 
Cataracts usually develop slowly. New glasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses can help at first. [[cataract surgery|Surgery]] is also an option. It involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block [[ultraviolet light|ultraviolet sunlight]] may help to delay cataracts.<ref>http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cataract.html</ref>
 
Cataracts usually develop slowly. New glasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses can help at first. [[cataract surgery|Surgery]] is also an option. It involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block [[ultraviolet light|ultraviolet sunlight]] may help to delay cataracts.<ref>http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cataract.html</ref>
  
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Cataract removal can be performed at any stage in the progression of the disease and no longer requires ripening of the lens. Surgery is usually performed without a hospital stay using [[local anaesthetic|local anesthesia]]. About 9 of 10 patients can achieve a corrected vision of 20/40 or better after surgery.<ref name=Bollinger_2008>{{cite journal | author = Bollinger KE, Langston RH | title = What can patients expect from cataract surgery? | journal = Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine | volume = 75 | issue = 3 | pages = 193–196, 199–196 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18383928 | doi = 10.3949/ccjm.75.3.193 }}</ref>  While cataracts do not cause [[astigmatism]], custom designed lenses can be implanted to both replace the cataract and correct the patient's astigmatism.
 
==References==
 
==References==
  
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[[Category:Medicine]]
 
[[Category:Medicine]]
 
[[Category:Vision]]
 
[[Category:Vision]]
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[[Category:Eye Diseases]]

Latest revision as of 16:18, June 27, 2016

Cataract in a human eye

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all people in the United States either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.[1]

Common symptoms are

  • Blurry vision
  • Colors that seem faded
  • Glare
  • Not being able to see well at night
  • Double vision
  • Frequent prescription changes in your eyewear

Cataracts usually develop slowly. New glasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses can help at first. Surgery is also an option. It involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim to block ultraviolet sunlight may help to delay cataracts.[2]

Cataract removal can be performed at any stage in the progression of the disease and no longer requires ripening of the lens. Surgery is usually performed without a hospital stay using local anesthesia. About 9 of 10 patients can achieve a corrected vision of 20/40 or better after surgery.[3] While cataracts do not cause astigmatism, custom designed lenses can be implanted to both replace the cataract and correct the patient's astigmatism.

References

  1. ↑ Facts About Cataract (September 2009). Retrieved on 24 May 2015.
  2. ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cataract.html
  3. ↑ Bollinger KE, Langston RH (2008). "What can patients expect from cataract surgery?". Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 75 (3): 193–196, 199–196. doi:10.3949/ccjm.75.3.193. PMID 18383928.Â