Symptoms and signs

The main symptom of juvenile or adult cataracts, vision loss is gradual, painless, whose degree depends on the location and intensity of opacity. When the opacity affects the central nucleus of the lens (nuclear cataract) appears myopia in early stages, so the presbyopic patient discovers he can read again without glasses (second sight). Rarely cataract swells, causing pain and secondary glaucoma. Opacities below the posterior capsule (posterior subcapsular cataract) affect the vision to overly opacity located at the point of intersection of the rays of light from the objects. The falls create problems especially when illumination is highest.

Diagnosis

The gradual loss of vision in the average age or later-life is also characteristic of glaucoma. Prior to dilate the pupils for an eye examination, patients should be elevated intraocular pressure or the presence of a shallow anterior chamber. The most advanced cataract and lens opacities appear grayish or yellowish brown. Examination of the dilated pupil, holding the ophthalmoscope to about 30 cm usually show subtle opacities. Small cataracts are drawn as dark defects on red reflex. A cataract can obscure large: red reflex. The exploration of ho DIDUR léinpara provides more details on the nature .., calización and intensity of opacification.

Treatment

Frequent changes of corrective lenses. can maintain useful vision during cataract development. Sometimes. can be used to dilated maintained with (phenylephrine 2.5%) for small lenticular opacities. Many ophthalmologists recommend: use of glasses with UV coating on bright days.

Surgery:

The most common indication for cataract surgery is a decrease in visual acuity for work or leisure activities such as driving, reading, other occupations. Excessive glare can also be an indication for surgery, especially in post-cataract. Less common indications are crystal-induced diseases (eg., Glaucoma Phacolytic, uselór coantigénica) or the need to visualize it: fund for the control of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. The cataract extraction is usually performed under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. There are three different techniques: intracapsular extraction of extracting the lens in full now virtually abandoned, extracapsular extraction, which is removal of the central core hardened and then absorbed the remains soft crust, and that is to dissolve phacoemulsification the central core inside the eye by ultrasound after removing cortical debris. With macoemulsificación the incision is small, thereby achieving rapid healing. Almost always an intraocular lens is implanted plastic or silicone to replace the lens in focus function.

In most cases, patients are treated with decreasing doses of an tibióticos and topical corticosteroids until 4 weeks after surgery. They often provide an eye shield for use while sleeping, and are warned to avoid the Valsalva maneuver, lifting, bending sharply or rubbing the eye. The complications of cataract surgery include retinal detachment, macular degeneration, cystic, bullous keratopathy, choroidal hemorrhage (intraoperative bleeding under the retina that causes the expulsion of ocular contents through the incision), endophthalmitis (intraocular infection), posterior capsule opacification (which can be treated with laser) and glaucoma. Excluding pre-existing disorders such as amblyopia, macular degeneration or glaucoma, 95% of the operated eyes get a better view. If an intraocular lens is implanted, you need contact lenses or glasses with thick lenses to correct refractive error (hyperopia and presbyopia).