This month is cataract awareness month. A cataract is a cloudy lens that is positioned behind the iris. This lens is what focuses the light that passes into the eye creating sharp, clear images on the retina. It is a light sensitive membrane that works similar to a film camera. There are four different types of cataracts: Nuclear Cataracts (affects the centre of the lens); Cortical Cataracts (affects the edges of the lens); Posterior Sub-capsular Cataracts (affects the back of the lens); and Congenital Cataracts (cataracts you are born with).

Gary Rodney, a SmartVision Behavioural Optometrist at Eyes InDesign Mosman, aims to raise awareness on cataracts as well as to let people know how to prevent or manage the problem.

There are a few different factors that cause the development of cataracts in the eye. The different types of cataracts have different causes and different speeds of progress. The main risk factors include: age, diabetes, continuous exposure to the sun, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, a previous eye injury, previous eye surgery, continuous use of steroid medications, and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

“Myopia can also have a hand in the development or progress of cataracts in the eye,” says Gary. Myopia (near-sightedness), seems to have a connection with the development and progression of cataracts. However, the exact amount the two affect one another needs to be determined. Nevertheless, there is definitely a connection between the two. “Statistically, having high myopia can double the risk of having fuzzy invaders blurring the lenses of your eyes, which can also lead to you developing cataracts earlier in life,” says Gary.

While no studies have shown any proven prevention methods, there are helpful ways to try and prevent cataracts from developing. Firstly, it is important to have regular eye examinations or to have a Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment done. This will help to detect any signs of cataracts early on. It is important to quit smoking and to reduce alcohol intake. Choose a healthy diet that includes a lot of fruits and vegetables. Although not proven, a large population study has been conducted where people who had enough vitamins and minerals had a lesser chance of developing cataracts. It is also important to wear sunglasses whenever you are exposed to sunlight.

There are treatment methods available. There is promising research being done on eye-drops that contain a natural compound called lanosterol that researchers suggest may dissolve cataracts. This compound already exists in the eye lens and that is what keeps the eye lens transparent. Currently, surgery is the most common procedure used to remove cataracts, however it is not without its complications, especially if you have myopia. The myopia can affect the surgery by causing retinal detachment, possibly causing a variable post-operative refractive error which removes the ability to see a few inches away. It is also important to remember that once a surgery is done it makes any holistic approach redundant.

Although there are no definite or problem free ways of preventing cataracts, the most important thing is early detection. It is important to  book a session with a SmartVision Behavioural Optometrist or directly book a Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment now.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in multiple suburbs in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600 or the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047, book an appointment online.

Written and syndicated by YDMA News.

He says that while it is hard to determine exactly how far that connection goes, indications are that both myopia and cataracts do indeed affect each other in terms of levels of severity. And both may individually be the cause of the other one’s development in certain situations. But, like the never fully answered question about which one comes first, the chicken or the egg, there is no definitive answer to this mystery either.

How Myopia Can Affect Cataract Development

Rodney said that in most cases, when people start to see their vision cloud over and become blurred as they develop cataracts on one or both eyes, it is because of a protein build up on the lens or lenses, a process which is seen as a natural part of aging. However, high myopia has been shown to often have a hand in when and if this happens. Statistically, having high myopia can double the risk of these fuzzy invaders blurring the lenses, and it can also lead to cataracts starting earlier in life.

Types of Cataracts

There are three types of cataracts, the nuclear cataract which develops in the center of the eye; the cortical cataract which is wedge-shaped, starts at the edges of the lens and progresses towards the centre; and the posterior capsular cataract that forms behind the lens and blocks light from reaching the retina.

It is also possible for babies to be born with congenital cataracts or for them to form in the first year of life, a situation which parallels a similar pattern to that of myopia development in some cases.

A Misleading “Holiday” from Reading Glasses

According to Rodney, those with high myopia are more prone to developing nuclear cataracts. And, strange as it may seem, the development of the cataract, either in the same place or behind the lens, itself has a tendency to cause a refractive change towards myopia, called a myopic shift.

This actually improves the close-up vision of some of the elderly, giving them hope by removing their need for reading glasses – for a while. Sadly, this so-called Second Sight is more of a brief reprieve rather than a long-term fix and doesn’t usually last very long, Rodney says.   

Research shows that the myopic shift happens in both nuclear cataracts (low to mild grade) as well as with posterior subcapsular ones of a mild to advanced grade, and can achieve an average improvement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/43 to 20/32, as well as showing a noticeable shift towards myopia which also increased with the cataract’s stage of development.

Treatment methods

Currently, promising research is being done into eye-drops that contain a natural compound called lanosterol, which researchers suggest may dissolve cataracts. This natural compound already exists in the eye lens and is responsible for keeping the lens transparent.

At present surgery is the standard procedure used to remove and replace the damaged lens. However, there again, high myopia can interfere, causing complications in surgery such as retinal detachment or possibly causing a variable postoperative refractive error which removes the ability to see a few inches away. A second operation may be needed to correct this.

For more information visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Responding to Prevent Blindness America’s decision to name June the Cataract Awareness Month, the Australian behavioural optometrist and founder of Smart Vision optometry said cataracts were one of the major causes of eye impairment and vision loss globally, starting with the over 40s’, and reaching higher risk levels as people reach their 60s and beyond.

In the US, around 24million over-forties (just under 1% of Americans) have cataracts. In Australia, where a far smaller population leads to a drop in the actual number of people afflicted, the percentage of the population affected is almost double America’s. Nearly 2%, or close on half a million Australians, are already feeling the effects of these cloudy curtains gradually closing over their eyes, and the numbers are growing every year. For many it will result in blindness.

What are Cataracts?

Rodney said the cataracts which form on the lenses in the eyes, and progressively cover them with a cloudy white film, change the way light enters the eyes. This causes the viewed world to appear as though it’s being seen through a fish tank, or very dirty window. Everything becomes increasingly hazy and blurry, or pales down to a dull yellow. Light may also seem either too dim or too dazzling for reading or close work, and getting new glasses might bring about no improvement.

While anyone over 40 can be vulnerable to cataracts, Rodney says statistics show women to be more than twice as susceptible as men. And annual statistics show the rate at which the number of females being afflicted has been rising over the past decade is almost three times faster than that of their male counterparts.

According to Rodney there are three types of cataracts: the nuclear one that forms in the centre of the lens, another that is wedge-shaped (cortical cataract) which forms at the edge of the lens, and the fast-developing posterior capsular cataract, which develops behind the lens, where it blocks the light rays from reaching the retina.

Light on the Horizon

Rodney says that it is possible to both reduce the risk of getting cataracts, and to have them removed successfully once they have started to develop, provided action is taken before the damage they can cause has progressed too far.

Among the best precautionary measures are protecting the eyes against UV light by wearing a hat or sunglasses when outside in the sun; undergoing regular eye check-ups if there are any signs of blurred vision and light sensitivity; or if there is a history of eye impairments like glaucoma in the family. Regular visits to the eye doctor are also recommended for diabetics; people using medications like prednisolone, or a corticosteroid hormone; and for those who smoke, as all three of these situations have been linked with the development of cataracts.

HEAR: Gary Rodney Interviewed By David Wood Ultra106five.com

Changing the Outlook

Rodney says, while simply accepting the slow change in vision clarity that develops as the cataracts spread as being an inevitable consequence of age, can have serious outcomes for the elderly, including blindness. However, taking action timeously has a good chance of restoring clear vision permanently, with cataract surgery’s success rate hovering at around 95% .

During surgery the clouded lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Only a very small incision in the cornea is required, and in most cases the procedure is very quick, taking only around 15 minutes to complete the lens swap in one eye. If there are cataracts on both eyes, usually only one eye will be treated, with the cloudy lens on the other eye being replaced in another procedure some months down the line.

visit the Smart Vision website at https://www.smartvisionoptometry.com.au/, or call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047, or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

For more information on eye impairments like cataracts and other vision impairments, visit Rodney’s Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney or the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047, or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.  

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.