Eye Health
Coping with cataracts The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), the training and professional body for eye doctors in Ireland, explain the condition, the symptoms and treatment options
What is a cataract? The lens in the eye can become cloudy and hard, a condition called cataract. This interferes with the focusing power of the eye. Cataract can happen through ageing, as a result of eye injury, or if you have taken certain drugs such as steroids. Cataract is a common cause of visual impairment in older people but can also affect a small number of younger individuals. Cataract causes blurred vision, dull vision, and sensitivity to light, glare and ghosting of images. If the cataract changes vision so much that it interferes with your daily life it may need to be removed. The only available treatment for removal of cataract is surgery to replace the affected lens. The purpose of the surgery is to remove the cloudy natural lens and replace it with a plastic lens (implant) inside your eye. A patient can decide not to have the cataract removed however the quality of their vision will continue to dis-improve. It is important if you suspect you might have a cataract to see an eye doctor who will discuss the condition and treatment options. What are the different types of cataract? The most common type of cataract is the one that people get as they become older. It is called a nuclear cataract because it affects the cen 26 Senior Times l May - June 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie
How this air balloon would be seen by healthy eyes and eyes with cataracts
tral core of the lens. This develops quite slowly sometimes taking many years to affect the vision significantly. A cortical cataract occurs in the peripheral part of the lens and often looks like the spokes in a bicycle wheel. It takes some time for these ‘spokes’ to grow centrally to affect the vision and doctors often see signs of this cataract before the patient’s vision is affected. A subcapsular cataract occurs at the back of the lens typically afflicting
