Cataract can be defined as the clouding of the natural lenses in the eyes. This is caused by the clumping of protein in the eye lens. Cataract is a common eye disorder and the leading cause of loss of vision in people who are past their fortieth birthday. Cataract can occur in one or both eyes. When diagnosed properly, cataract can be treated with surgery to prevent blindness.

Depending on where and how they develop, there are many types of cataract. The most common amongst these are:

1.        Subcapsular cataract

These occur at the back of the eye lens. Diabetic patients are very susceptible to this kind of cataract.

2.        Nuclear cataract

Yellowish-brown cataract that form in the center of the lens are called nuclear cataract. This is usually seen in cataract caused by ageing.

3.        Cortical cataract

Cataract in the lens cortex are known as cortical cataract. These are wedge shaped and whitish in color. Spokes protruding out of these opaque wedges can be seen moving towards the center of the eye.

4.        Congenital cataract

Though they are not common, babies can also have cataract. Cataract formed at birth or within the first year of a baby's birth are known as congenital cataract.

5.        Secondary cataract

Cataract is one of the known side effects of diabetes and glaucoma. Some steroids and medicines are also linked to cataract.

6.        Traumatic cataract

If your vision becomes cloudy years after an eye injury, it could be a traumatic cataract. It can take several years for this to happen.

7.        Radiation cataract

Exposure to radiation can also lead to cataract. This is seen sometimes in patients who have undergone radiation therapy to fight diseases like cancer.

Though the type of cataract might differ from person to person, the symptoms are usually the same. Some of the common symptoms of cataract are:

1. Blurred vision
2. Reduced night vision
3. Increased sensitivity to light and glare
4. Seeing halos around lights
5. Colors appearing faded
6. Double vision

A reading test is the first step towards diagnosing cataracts. This is followed by tests to measure the eye pressure. Your doctor will also need to dilate the pupil to check the condition of the optic nerves and retina.

Surgery is the safest way to remove a cataract. Surgery is usually recommended when cataract begin inhibiting your daily life such as preventing you from driving, interfering with reading etc.
 
In most cases, this can be done as an outpatient procedure. The earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. Hence, if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, get your eyes checked at once. The surgery is a day-care surgery only, so a person can go home the same day.

Is Your Vision Clouded? It Could Be Cataracts

Tip for eye care

This is the worst time of the year, for your eyes. Pollution from firecrackers, smog due to weather change and generally ever increasing vehicular pollution adds up to be the worst for your eye health. 

Protect your eyesight and take care of your eyes by following these simple daily eye care tips.

1. Eat Well: Protect your eyes from within. Eat for good vision. Eat foods that have various nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and lutein, vitamins A, C and E to keep eye problems at bay. Green leafy vegetables, salmon and other oily fishes, eggs and nuts, orange and citrus fruits are great for eyesight.

2. Quit Smoking: For better eye-care leave smoking. This simple activity can make you likelier to get optic nerve damage, macular degeneration and cataracts.

3. Have eye-care routine: Most of us don’t have an eye care routine, which is essential for keeping them fit. So, develop a good eye-care routine. In this routine, practice eye exercises, focusing eyes on a point far away to promote muscle development. Clean eyes everyday with fresh, clean water to reduce eye mites and other problems.

4. Wear Sunglasses: Wearing sunglasses on a regular basis will protect eyes from UV rays and ensure protection. This will help in reducing the chances of getting cataracts and developing macular degeneration.

5. Use Safety Wear: It is important that you regularly wear safety wear problems. For instance, for sports, wear eye protection products, sports goggles or protective face masks.

6. Look away from computer: A lot of us use computers too much for work and recreation. Now is the time to look away from it. Staring at the computer for long can cause eyestrain and blurry vision, trouble focusing at a distance and result in dry eyes as well as neck and shoulder pain with headaches. So, take regular breaks from that computer.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Doctor's Advice On How To Keep Your Eyes Safe This Diwali

Visual impairment is a decreased ability to see to a degree that causes disabilities or problems, not fixable by usual means, such as glasses. Loss of vision may be acquired and develop suddenly. It may affect one or both your eyes.

What Causes Loss of Vision/Disability?

Loss of vision and disability can result from the following  

Clouding of normally transparent eye structures

Abnormalities in the retina

Abnormalities in the nerves carrying visual signals to the brain from the eyes

Changes in vision may also occur due to conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. 

Can Psychological Rehabilitation Help Manage Visual Impairment?

Vision loss and disability often interfere with one s functional ability in everyday tasks. Sometimes, the disability may be so devastating that it affects a person s mental health and behaviour. Psychological Rehabilitation is designed to help such visually impaired people deal with disability or impairment. 

Psychological rehabilitation involves a wide range of methods that aims to restore functioning after loss of vision, just as physiotherapy restores functioning after an injury or stroke. The program allows patients to continue living independently and maintain their quality of life despite vision loss. 

Complete or partial loss of vision can jeopardize one s career   you may not be able to continue with your job due to the disability.  Many people suffer psychological and physical challenges, which force them to escape the outside world. Psychological rehabilitation helps in the following ways  

Helps individual understand and accept the disability, and find ways to cope with it

Motivates them in to keep trying

Cope with the pain and depression

Overcome feelings of fear or despair

Prevents the person from sinking into a state of self-pity, which may hinder recovery

Rehabilitation Psychology adopts a holistic and expansive approach to treat visual impairment. 




Loss of Vision & Disability - How Can Psychological Rehabilitation Help?

Are you suffering from eye pain? Well, rubbing your eyes is not a wise thing to do under such circumstances. Rubbing will only turn the white of your eye into a scarlet-colored surface. The eyes can get irritated due to the influence of foreign materials like dust particles, flies or remains of beauty products. The eyes also develop pain due to physical injury. Here are some tips to get rid of the eye pain or irritation:

Use Ice pack: In case of an injury, apply ice pack on the eyes. Cold compression on the eyes for 15 minutes reduces any sort of pain or swelling.

Cry to smile: Tears are known to have positive effects on the eyes. They prevent the drying up of cornea. It is advisable to bathe the eye with artificial tears.

Compress your eyes: It is advisable to soak a washcloth in warm water and compress your eyes with that to get relief from pain in sty. Sty is an infection of the eyelid, which reddens the lids and causes pain. Warm compression helps in liquefaction of the oils in the eyes.

Wash your eye: Irritation or pain is also caused by dust particles in the eyes. Therefore, it is best to wash your eyes with saline solution. Don't use normal tap water or distilled water for washing your eyes.

Get rid of the invader: Try to remove or dislodge any fleck or speck 'the cause of pain' by using a cotton swab.

Try the cold treatment: It has been found that dry eyes can be treated best by cold application. Apply a pack of ice on dry eyes for 5 to 6 minutes in every two hours. This helps in reducing the pain and forms tears to keep the eyes moist.

Flip your eyelids: Try to remove the painful particle inside the eyes by pulling the eyelids. Pull the upper lid gently over the lower one so that the foreign particle comes out.

Tips to Treat and Prevent Eye Pain

5 myths about eye health and the real facts behind them

Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. However, there are a number of myths regarding what you should do and what you shouldn't do when it comes to maintaining good eye health.

Here are 5 of those myths busted:

Myth #1: reading in dim light and sitting too close to the tv hurts your eyes

Fact: sitting too close to the tv, you may feel eye strain or get a headache from reading in the dark, but it will not weaken your eyes. It fatigues your eyes but does not harm your eye health in any way.

Myth #2: eating carrots will improve your vision

Fact: carrots are rich in vitamin a, a nutrient essential for good vision. But eating carrots will only provide a small amount of vitamin a. To get the optimum amount, you need to include other sources of vitamin a in your diet as well, some of which are milk, cheese, egg yolk and liver. Spinach is best for eye health. It has lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can help prevent cataracts.

Myth #3: if you wear glasses or contacts for a continuous period, your eyes will weaken

Fact: your eyes will not grow weaker by using corrective lenses. The prescription may change over time due to aging or absence of disease but it has nothing to do with your current prescription. Some children have correctable eye problems that do require glasses to improve the condition.

Myth #4: when you get something in your eye, rub it out

Fact: this is not true for everything that gets in your eyes. If any particle falls in your eyes dust it off. But if it is sand and small debris that gets in your eye, don't touch it. Use an eye wash for flushing it out. If an object gets stuck in your eye, don't remove it or rub your eye constantly. Visit a doctor at the earliest because some serious injuries may seem minor at first.

Myth #5: dark sunglasses can protect your eyes from the sun

Fact: the color of sunglass does not ensure eye protection. Look for sunglasses that block both uva and UVB rays. Exposure to the UV-rays of sunlight can have cumulative effects on your eyes. It increases your risk for cataracts, solar retinitis, and age-related vision loss. Even if your contacts have UV protection, wear sunglasses that block 100% of uva and UVB rays for full protection.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Here's What CRYING Does to Your Body

Sitting Too Close To TV Will Weaken Your Eyes? FALSE.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in people across the globe. It damages the optic nerve that carries sensory images from the retina to the brain. A faulty eye pressure is responsible for damaging the very delicate optic nerve fiber causing small blind spots in the retina. Unfortunately, for most patients this disease only gets diagnosed when the number of blind spots is on the higher side.

Types of Glaucoma

Open angle: This is a type of Glaucoma which results from the blockage of the drainage angle of the eye resulting into an increased eye pressure.
Angle closure: This is the kind of Glaucoma which results from the narrowing down of the drainage angle leading to complete blockage.
Target segment of Glaucoma

Family history: Inheritance surely plays a role in case of Glaucoma too. If Glaucoma runs through families of an individual, there are higher chances of getting this disease. Although there is no hard and fast rule about it, the risks of inheriting this disease are on the higher side.
Eye injury: If there is any history of previous eye injuries, the probability of the onset of Glaucoma cannot be turned down. Specially, if the injury is related to optic nerve, there are very high risks involved.
Bilateral Oophorectomy: Dual Ovary removal before the age of 40 results in deficiency of estrogen resulting in Glaucoma. Although most surgeons warn their patients of the possible risk of these procedures, many surgeries such as these have resulted in patients losing eyesight in the form of Glaucoma.
Patient with Diabetes: In case of acute diabetes, retina gets damaged and the eye starts producing new blood vessels on the iris resulting into an increased eye pressure. This condition often leads to Glaucoma due to blockage of fluid flow in the eye.
Eye Conditions: Myopia, multiple surgeries to the eye, blunt trauma etc. can lead to Glaucoma. A patient who has undergone any kind of eye surgeries suffers from inflammation. However, major inflammation is often found twisting blood flow in the eye resulting into Glaucoma.
If a patient is 40 or above: After a person reaches 40 years of age, a lot of diseases start cropping in to the body. Studies show that Glaucoma has a higher frequency in people who is more than the age of 40 or above.
High eye pressure: A patient with an eye pressure of above 21 mm HG is also at a very high risk of getting glaucoma. For a normal person the IOP lies between 10 to 21 mm HG.
Blood flow related disease: Diseases such as acute migraine, hypertension and low blood pressure which involves blood flow related problem often aggravate to glaucoma.
Ethnic Background: Statistics show that people from Afro American, Hispanics, Asian and Caribbean background have greater chances of being affected by Glaucoma.

Glaucoma - Are You at Risk?

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