Cataracts : Causes, Symptoms and Treatments in Addis Ababa

Looking for cataract treatment in Addis Ababa ? We can help. At Addis Ababa eye clinic, we offer high quality, safe and effective cataract treatments trailed for improving your eyesight

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Introduction

Eye disease is impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning of the organ of sight.

One of that causes of eye disses is cataract, it is a cloudy lens. The lens is positioned behind the colored part of your eye (iris). The lens focuses light that passes into your eye, producing clear, sharp images on the retina — the light-sensitive membrane in the eye that functions like the film in a camera.

Visit Addis Ababa Eye Clinic to get treated quickly if you get any symptoms of cataract.

What is cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.

Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car (especially at night) or see the expression on a friend’s face.

Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb your eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with your vision.

What are the symptoms of cataract?

Signs and symptoms of cataracts include:

• Increasing difficulty with vision at night
• Sensitivity to light and glare
• Need for brighter light for reading and other activities
• Seeing “halos” around lights
• Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription
• Fading or yellowing of colors
• Double vision in a single eye
• Your vision is cloudy or blurry.
• You see double (this sometimes goes away as the cataract gets bigger)

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You may be unaware of any vision loss. As the cataract grows larger, it clouds more of your lens and distorts the light passing through the lens. This may lead to more-noticeable symptoms.

Causes of cataract

Age-related cataract

As you age, a cataract can develop because of natural changes in the lens of your eye. This is called an age-related cataract, and it’s the most common type of cataract. Age-related cataracts may be more likely to form if you: 

• Smoke 
• Drink too much alcohol 
• Have a family history of cataract 
• Have diabetes 
• Have had certain eye surgeries, like glaucoma surgery 
• Take steroids (medicines used to treat a variety of health problems, like arthritis or allergies) for a long time 

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Traumatic cataract

Serious eye injuries can damage your lens and cause a cataract. The cataract could form quickly after the injury — or it could form many years later. 

Radiation cataract

Certain types of radiation can cause cataracts. This includes ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and radiation treatment for cancer. 

Pediatric cataract

Children can get cataracts, too. They can be born with cataracts (congenital cataracts), or develop them later on.  

Cataracts in children are rare, and they’re usually genetic — they run in families. They can also happen because of serious complications during pregnancy or because of illnesses during childhood, like uveitis or tumors in the eye. 

Children can also get cataracts for the same reasons as adults — eye injuries, radiation, or steroid medications. 

Secondary cataract (posterior capsule opacification)

After cataract surgery, some people may develop a condition called secondary cataract that makes their vision cloudy again. This condition is also called after-cataract or posterior capsule opacification. Secondary cataract is common, but it’s easy to fix with a laser treatment in your eye doctor’s office.  

Cataract treatment options at Addis Ababa Eye Clinic

Once a cataract reduces your vision, no medications, eye drops, glasses or exercises can reverse the process. The only way to treat a cataract is to surgically remove the damaged lens and replace it with a new clear lens.

There are three major cataract surgery procedures:

1. Phacoemulsification
2. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).
3. Extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE).

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Conclusion

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.

Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car or see the expression on a people’s face. Note that it is important to visit an eye specialist if you have any eye pain, itching, or discomfort as it could be a symptom of a serious condition.

It is also medically advisable to visit the eye clinic for a cheek up to preserve and also look out for serious issues earlier before they get worse.