January 2022 - Armadale Eye Clinic

how to prevent cataracts melbourne

How to Prevent Cataracts & Understand What Causes Them?

January 31, 2022/0 Comments/in Cataract Surgery /by armadaleeye

Cataracts are a haze or opacity of the lens inside the eye and are typically considered to be a natural part of the human ageing process. With as much research and development going into reversing the signs of ageing, such as with our skin, is there anything that can be done to also reduce your risk of needing cataract surgery in the coming years? Keep reading to find out how to prevent cataracts.

What Causes Cataracts?

There are various underlying causes of cataracts, and not all are fully understood. Age-related cataracts account for the vast majority of cataract surgery cases, but what is it about increasing age that induces the formation of a cataract and the associated vision problems? Experts believe that the accumulation of oxidative damage from UV exposure to the fibres of the eye’s lens is at least partly to blame. As the lens fibres become damaged, they lose their transparency, leading to the progressive haze and opacities found in age-related cataracts.

Apart from older age, any other disturbance to the lens, whether physical or metabolic, has the potential to induce a cataract and subsequent vision problems. Other known causes of cataract include:

Blunt or sharp trauma to the eye
Chemical injury to the eye
Systemic metabolic diseases
Congenital disease
Certain eye operations
Certain medications

Cataract surgery is the only absolute way of treating a cataract. During the operation, the cataract surgeon removes the cloudy lens from the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens implant, called an intraocular lens. If the thought of an eye operation is unappealing to you, you may be wondering how to prevent cataracts from growing in the first place. Although there is no definite way of ensuring you never get a cataract other than pre-emptively removing the eye’s natural lens before a cataract has a chance to form (a surgical procedure known as refractive lens exchange), there are steps you can take to reduce your need to step into the office of a cataract surgeon.

In most situations, cataract surgery is indicated only once the cataract begins to cause you vision problems. Because of this, being told you have cataracts does not automatically mean you will need cataract surgery in the near, or even far, future. Many people continue their daily activities quite happily for many years despite the presence of a cataract.

How to Prevent Cataracts?

There are certain steps you can take to help delay the development of a cataract or slow its progression.

Protect your eyes from UV radiation

As UV exposure has been implicated in the development of cataract, protecting your eyes from the sun may help to reduce the risk of growing a cataract. Some studies have found only a small percentage of cataracts are a direct consequence of UV exposure, meaning only a low proportion of cataract surgery cases would be avoidable with UV protection. However, as UV protection is important not only for cataract prevention but also to avoid damage to other structures to the eyes and skin, wearing a hat and sunglasses outdoors is still a good idea.

Quit smoking

Smoking has negative consequences for not only cataract formation but also other aspects of your eye health, including increasing your risk of age-related macular degeneration. Smoking is directly and positively correlated with cataract formation; in other words, the more you smoke, the higher your risk of needing to visit a cataract surgeon. Fortunately, quitting smoking will reduce your risk, although your risk of cataract will remain higher compared to people who have never smoked before.

Drink less alcohol

Various studies have been conducted investigating the impact of alcohol consumption and the likelihood of requiring early cataract surgery. The findings suggest that heavy alcohol consumption (more than two standard drinks per day), is related to an elevated risk of developing age-related cataracts. However, researchers noted that moderate alcohol intake didn’t appear to have any significant association with cataracts.

Eat a diet high in antioxidants

Vitamins A, C, and E have an antioxidant effect, which could help to protect against the development of age-related cataracts. Fruits and vegetables high in these vitamins include green leafy vegetables such as kale, red and orange coloured produce, such as capsicum and tomatoes, and nuts, including walnuts, pecans, and chestnuts.

In theory, the antioxidant action of these vitamins helps to counter the effect of oxidative damage on the eye’s lens. It should be mentioned that not all studies agree that a specific diet will reliably protect against cataracts. However, as a healthy, balanced diet is beneficial for all areas of the body, there’s no harm in following well-balanced nutrition principles.

Protect your eyes from injury

As injury to the eye can induce the formation of a cataract (as well as cause damage to other structures of the eye), it’s important to wear appropriate safety equipment when engaging in high-risk activities. Eye injuries can be from blunt trauma, such as a cricket ball to the eye; penetrating trauma, such as from a shard of glass during a car accident; from chemicals splashed or sprayed into the eye; or from electrocution.

Even if you take all possible precautions to prevent cataracts, it is still possible you will develop them as you get older. If you’re concerned about cataracts, speak to your eye care professional.

Call us now on (03) 9070 5753.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

what does cataract vision look like melbourne

What Does Cataract Vision Look Like? Discover How It Can Be Treated

January 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Cataract Surgery /by armadaleeye

Have you recently been feeling like your vision is deteriorating? How do you know whether what you’re experiencing is a serious, sight-threatening eye condition or a simple age-related haze in your eye’s lens that can be fixed with cataract surgery? While any changes to your vision are best diagnosed with a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, for those wondering what does cataract vision look like, here’s what you might expect if your sight deterioration is from cataracts.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is any haze or opacity in the crystalline lens of your eye. A normal, healthy lens is transparent, allowing light to pass through it for clear vision. There are many causes of a cataract, however, older age accounts for most cases of cataract in the Western world. Other causes of a cataract can include trauma to the eye, whether physical, chemical, or electrical; systemic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes; or as a result of certain medical interventions, including medications or eye procedures.

The location, density, and type of cataract will play a role in determining your cataract symptoms and the answer to what does cataract vision look like for you. The impact of a cataract on an individual’s vision and quality of life will also be subject to various factors, including their tolerance to blur and sensitivity to changes to their sight, as well as their hobbies and vocation.

At the moment, the only definitive treatment for a cataract is through cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is a common eye operation that involves complete removal of the cataract, replacing it with an artificial lens implant called an intraocular lens. In Australia, you can access quality cataract surgery with an experienced ophthalmologist through both the public and private medical systems.

So, what does cataract vision look like and when should you suspect that you have a cataract?

What Does Cataract Vision Look Like?

In the early stages of a cataract, you may not notice any changes to your sight at all. In most cases, cataracts progress quite slowly, making it difficult to discern that your vision is deteriorating over time. Some people realise for the first time that their vision is not as good as it used to be only when they attend a routine eye check.

As the cataract continues to develop, you may become aware that certain activities are becoming a little more difficult. These may include:

Difficulty with reading. While reading large black letters against a stark white background in natural sunlight is most likely going to continue to be quite easy, there will be other circumstances where reading may take a little more concentration than usual. These situations may include trying to read coloured text against a coloured background, or when trying to read the fine print of a medication bottle. Some people with cataract also find it increasingly difficult to read in dim lighting and need more focused task lighting on their reading material. The reason for these issues is that the cataract is reducing your visual acuity and contrast sensitivity.
Difficulty with driving. Similar to reading, if it’s a bright day with clear skies, you’re not likely to find driving a problem. However, many people with cataracts begin to feel less comfortable and confident driving at night or in grey, cloudy, rainy conditions. The deterioration of your contrast sensitivity from the cataract is again responsible for this. As your cataracts advance, you may find it more difficult to pick out a silver or grey car ahead of you through the rain. Some types of cataracts can cause an increase in glare sensitivity, which can mean the headlights of oncoming cars on the road or street lights may also feel more dazzling when you drive at night.
Difficulty with colour vision. One type of age-related cataract known as nuclear sclerosis results in a yellow-brownish tinge in the eye’s lens. This coloured haze filters out certain wavelengths of the colour spectrum, which can alter your colour vision. Not many people with cataract realise this change to their sight is happening until after they undergo cataract surgery and then realise how much more vibrant colours are. If you have a hobby or occupation that requires fine colour discrimination, such as a painter or colourist, you may be more aware of this change to your vision.
General difficulty with seeing fine detail. As the cataract progresses, the clouding in your eye’s lens will block more and more light from reaching the sensory retina, which is necessary for sight. This will result in an overall reduction in your clarity of vision, which some people describe as foggy, filmy, hazy, or blurry. In addition to increased difficulty with reading small or low contrast text, there may be other situations you may find more challenging, such as recognising faces from afar.

Sight through a cataract is not associated with flashing lights in your sight, areas of complete vision loss, or spots and specks in your vision. These symptoms should be urgently assessed by an eye care professional or hospital emergency department.

If you think you’re ready for cataract surgery, speak to your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They will be able to examine your eyes and vision and offer advice on the timing of cataract surgery.

Call us on (03) 9070 5753 today.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.