Understanding Cataracts: Early Onset and Prevention
Hello, this is Bright St. Mary Eye Clinic.
Recently, there has been an annual increase in patients in their 20s to 50s,
and the onset of cataracts is occurring at an increasingly younger age.
The earlier it appears, the more caution is needed.
To take precautions,
it's good to know what kind of disease it is, right?
What kind of eye disease is a cataract?
A cataract is an eye disease in which the lens of the eye
becomes cloudy due to aging,
causing blurred vision as if looking through a fog,
and declining eyesight.
If you have the following symptoms,
suspect cataracts
and visit an ophthalmologist
for an examination.
Basically, the incidence of cataracts increases with age
as the lens ages.
The lens plays an important role in refracting light entering the eye
to form an image on the retina,
but as you age, the protein structure
changes and clumps together,
which makes the lens cloudy.
When the lens becomes cloudy, light cannot pass through properly,
resulting in decreased vision.
Also, in the aging process,
the accumulation of free radicals in the lens
is one of the main causes of cataracts.
Free radicals damage cells
and alter protein structures,
accelerating the clouding of the lens.
In the case of age-related cataracts, in the early stages,
the refractive power of the lens increases,
which can cause nearsightedness,
and as cataracts progress, it may become difficult to
distinguish blue hues.
The incidence usually starts to increase after the age of 40,
and increases rapidly after the age of 60.
According to data from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery,
between the ages of 40 and 50,
about 10% to 20% of people
develop cataracts, while
over 70% in their 60s,
and over 90% in their 80s
experience cataracts.
In fact, according to the 2019 Statistics Korea data,
the number of cataract patients in Korea increases rapidly
in the age group of 60 or older,
with about 3 out of 10 people in their 60s
suffering from cataracts.
Thus, cataracts are
commonly known to be caused by aging and mainly occur in the elderly,
but there is no single definitive cause.
In other words, just as
young people can get gray hair,
it also means that it can be caused by various factors
besides age.
According to statistics from the National Health Insurance Service,
the number of cataract surgeries has been
increasing rapidly every year since 2015,
especially with the onset in younger age groups
becoming more prominent.
Smartphone use is
being cited as one of the main causes
of cataracts in people in their 20s.
This is because blue light emitted from smartphones
and prolonged screen focus
put continuous strain on the eyes.
Blue light is high-energy light with a short wavelength
that can reach deep into the eye,
and prolonged exposure can cause eye fatigue
and damage the lens and retina.
In particular, when using smartphones for long periods of time,
blinking decreases,
which worsens dry eye,
and habits such as rubbing the eyes or applying excessive pressure
develop.
Cataracts that develop in your 20s
may or may not have a cause.
The biggest cause is
that trauma can
rupture or damage the lens,
worsening cataracts.
Sleeping face down with your hands or arms
pressing on your eyes, or
continuously rubbing your eyes
can also affect the development of cataracts.
These behaviors put repetitive pressure on the eyes,
which can irritate the structures inside the eye,
especially the lens.
This can cause the anterior capsule (the front pocket of the lens) that protects the lens
to become slightly damaged or ruptured,
and if this damage accumulates,
the likelihood of developing cataracts increases.
In the case of cataracts in your 20s,
in general, there are no other symptoms such as eye discomfort or
discharge, and only gradual vision loss
appears in most cases,
However, in rare cases, complications from cataracts
can cause other abnormalities such as glaucoma,
which may be accompanied by symptoms including pain.
There are two main treatment methods for cataracts:
medication and surgery.
Medication
helps slow the progression of cataracts,
but it does not
make the already cloudy lens
clear again.
Therefore, a more definite treatment effect
can be expected
through surgical treatment.
Surgery is relatively simple and safe,
and the rate of vision recovery after surgery is high.
Cataract surgery is a treatment that many people receive.
The decision on whether to have surgery is made by comprehensively considering
the current state of cataracts, the cause of vision loss,
and other factors that have affected vision development.
If the potential benefits that the patient can gain through surgery
are not significant,
surgery may not be performed,
and other adjunctive vision management methods
may be selected.
Cataracts can be difficult to detect in the early stages
because the symptoms are mild or not obvious.
Usually, there are no pain or
special symptoms other than visual impairment,
and it may progress slowly
over months to years.
Cataracts, in which the vision becomes blurred
as the lens becomes cloudy, are often
mistaken for a temporary phenomenon
due to a tiring daily life and
left untreated.
If that happens,
cataracts do not heal naturally
and the symptoms worsen,
and in severe cases, blindness
may occur.
Therefore,
even if you are young,
and even if you are generally healthy,
we hope that you will receive regular checkups about once a year
to prevent eye diseases in advance
and help you maintain your daily life.
However, conversely,
even if cataracts are progressing slowly
or do not significantly affect daily life,
treatment can be carried out with medication rather than surgery.
At Bright St. Mary Eye Clinic,
we recommend cataract surgery
only to those who really need it.
Also, for cataract surgery,
choosing an intraocular lens that suits your lifestyle
is very important.
Bright St. Mary Eye Clinic has skilled medical staff
and various intraocular lenses,
and customized cataract surgery is possible through this.
We insert customized lenses
that take into account each person's unique eye characteristics,
personal lifestyle, medical history, hobbies, and
future plans.
Because professional care from medical staff is required
during the golden recovery time of 6 hours after surgery,
we operate a same-day inpatient room (day care center)
for those who need hospitalization,
and provide continuous follow-up care
with professional treatment for conditions such as dry eye
that temporarily follow afterwards,
and the assignment of dedicated medical staff.
The medical staff at Bright St. Mary Eye Clinic
always puts the patient's eye health first.
Since accurate measurement of the required intraocular lens power
before surgery is the most important factor,
we prevent even 1/100th of an error
We conduct approximately 60 types of 1:1 precision tests
to check whether there are any abnormalities in all parts of the eye,
from the cornea to the optic nerve of the retina, and
what the individual's measurements are.
Various precision tests are performed,
including the patient's vision, corneal condition,
retinal thickness, and pupil size.
Through this, we provide consultations on
whether surgery is possible, postoperative corrected vision,
and the most appropriate surgical method for your eye condition.
We have various precision tests and
the latest surgical equipment,
and our ophthalmologists
also have a wealth of clinical experience,
so you can expect stable results.
We operate on a reservation basis, so
please feel free to make a reservation before visiting
and feel free to contact us with any questions. :)
Source :https://blog.naver.com/oklasik3/223748787108
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