Cataract

Cataract is an eye disease that is characterized by the presence of fog on the lens of the eye. Normal eye lens is transparent and contains a lot of water, so that light can penetrate it easily. Although the new cells on the lens will always be formed, many factors that can lead to areas within the lens becomes opaque, hard, and solid. Lenses that do not clear it will not be able to resume light onto the retina to be processed and sent through the optic nerve to the brain.



Cataract disease prevalent in tropical countries like Indonesia. This deals with the causes of cataracts, the ultraviolet rays from sunlight. Other causes are nutritional deficiencies that can accelerate the process of developing cataracts.


What Causes Cataracts?



Most cataracts occur due to the degenerative process or a person's age. Cataracts appear mostly in the elderly. Statistics show that over 90% of people aged over 65 years suffer from cataracts. Approximately 550% of people aged 75-85 years of his eyesight due to cataracts is reduced. Although it can actually be treated, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world.

Unfortunately, A cataract patients may not realize have undergone cataract disorder. Cataracts occur slowly-slowly so that people with impaired vision gradually. because generally the cataract grows very slowly and does not affect the power of vision from the beginning. The new power of vision is affected after cataract develops around 3-5 years. Therefore, cataract patients are usually aware of the disease once it enters a critical stage.



At the beginning of the attack, cataract patients felt itching in the eyes, tears easily come out, disturbed vision at night, and could not resist the glare of sunlight or lamplight. Furthermore, the patient will see the film like a cloud in front of his eyesight. The cloud that covers the lens of the eye is finally getting closer and cover all parts of the eye. When you have reached this stage, the patient will lose his eyesight.



Generally there are 4 types of cataract as follows.

1. Congenital, is a cataract that occurred since the baby was born and developed in the first year of his life. This type of cataract is extremely rare.

2. Traumatic, is a cataract that occurs because of an accident on the eyes.

3. Secondary cataracts are caused by the consumption of drugs such as prednisone and corticosteroids, as well as diabetics. Cataract affects 10 times more common by people with diabetes than the general population.

4. Age-related cataracts, the most common type of cataract. Based on its location, there are 3 types of cataract, namely nuclear sclerosis, cortical, and posterior subcapsular. Nuclear sclerosis is a lens changes gradually so that it becomes hard and creamy. The view is much more affected than the near vision (reading vision), even the view can be a better read. Patients also have difficulty distinguishing colors, especially the color birru. Type of cortical cataract occurs when the fibers of the lens becomes cloudy, it can cause glare, especially when driving at night. Is the occurrence of posterior subcapsular opacities on the back side of the lens. Cataract causes glare, blurry vision in bright light conditions, as well as reading vision decreases.



Common symptoms of cataract problems include:

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Vision is not clear, as there is fog blocking objects.
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Sensitive to light or light.
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Can see the double in one eye.
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Require bright lighting to be read.
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Eye lens become opaque as milk glass.

cataracts can also occur in infants because the mother infected with the virus during pregnancy. Other causes of cataracts include:

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Heredity.
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Congenital defects.
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Health problems, such as diabetes.
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Use of certain medications, especially steroids.
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Without protective eye exposed to sunlight for a long time.
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Previous eye surgery.
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Trauma (accidents) in the eye.
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Other factors are unknown.





Medical treatment

The solution to cure cataract is medically generally by way of operating. Layer in the eye removed and replaced with an artificial lens (intraocular lens). This operation is quite risky and does not promise cure 100%. Recently found to advanced technology, namely surgery by laser light.

All of these treatments depends on the economic ability of patients, because of eye surgery to butukan funds are not small. Costs required to operate on one eye due to cataracts is currently about 5 million dollars. Then what about the weak economy is to get a kilo of rice alone is not able to pay?