- manavasevahospital@rediffmail.com
- Muthuvara, Thrissur
- 0487-2306268 | 0487-2306265
CATARACT
What is cataract?
Our eye has a lens which is a curved structure in front but behind the pupil. It
is this lens that enables us to see things.
When this lens gets clouded we are not able to see clearly with our eyes. It’s
like watching through a foggy window. Images look blurred and not clear. Due to
this problem, we are not able to read properly or drive. We cannot see faces and
expressions of our family, friends, colleagues, etc.
This clouding of the lens of the eye is generally termed as cataract by eye
specialists.
What are the causes of cataract?
Most common cause of cataract is age. As we get older our lens get damaged and
create layers of fiber which obstruct our vision.
Diabetes is the second most common cause of cataract.
Diabetic Retinopathy, which causes damage to the retina, also causes cataract in
the eye.
Glaucoma, which causes damage to the optic nerve, is also another cause for
cataract.
Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is also known to cause cataract in the
eye.
There is also Congenital Cataract, which is cataract seen in newborns. The most
common cause of this type of cataract is genetic defects.
There are also other causes such as metabolic disorder, toxicity effects,
trauma, etc. These are rare cases.
What are the symptoms of cataract?
- Blurred and/or dim vision in the most obvious symptom
- Trouble seeing at night
- Sensitivity to lights, glare
- Need for brighter light to read
- Frequent changes in spectacle lens power
- Sometimes double vision in one eye.
How is cataract evaluated by the Ophthalmologist?
The ophthalmologist will do the following things as part of the process to evaluate the cataract:
- Take your comprehensive medical history
- Test the current level of your vision
- External examination of the eye
- Assess pupillary function
- Examine ocular alignment
- Check eye (intraocular) pressure
- Examination of anterior segment, lens, vitreous humor using a Slit Lamp
- If necessary, an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to investigate damage to retina or indications of glaucoma.
CATARACT TREATMENT
There is only one universally accepted way to treat cataract – Replace the clouded natural lens of the eye with a synthetic lens known as Intraocular lens (IOL). This replacement is done through a surgical procedure.
There are primarily two kinds of cataract surgery prevalent today:
- Manual Small Incision Cataract surgery
- Phacoemulsification (Key hole cataract surgery)
At Manavaseva, we undertake both kinds of surgery.
Cataract Surgery packages are based on the type of lens being used in the
surgery.
Our packages start from Rs. 5000/- onwards.
There are three types of lens – Monofocal, Multifocal, Toric.
Monofocal lens are the most commonly used lens. They correct for the power lost by replacement of natural lens. They can correct either distant or near power. The other power needs to corrected using a spectacle.
Multifocal lens help correct both near as well as distant power. This helps in
avoiding use of spectacles after surgery.
Toric lens are used to correct astigmatism and refractive errors.
In order to select the lens with the correct power, the patient’s eye is scanned
and
power determined.
POST CATARACT SURGERY CARE
- Patient must take rest for at least a week
- Use eye drops as per instructions of the Doctor
- Continue taking prescribed medications
- Use an eye shield when going out
- Try not to rub eyes, not allow soap/shampoo to enter eyes
- Avoid any strenuous activity for atleast a month
RETINOPATHY
This is an eye condition which damages the blood vessels in the Retina of the eye...
Read More