Cataracts
Ophthalmologist in Cancun High Specialty in Cataracts
Any opacity of the lens is called a cataract; the natural lens of our eyes that allows us to focus sharp images on the retina.
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Cataracts represent the first cause of reversible blindness worldwide, currently they are treated with surgery, in most cases, with a good visual prognosis.
What is the cause?
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The most common cause of cataract is age-related. It is a natural part of the aging process and this means that all people will have a certain degree of cataract when they reach a certain age, generally after 50 years.
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Other conditions that can cause cataract are diabetes, prolonged use of certain medications such as steroids, eye trauma, previous surgeries and, in some cases, it can occur from birth.
How to prevent cataracts
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Although age is the main factor for cataracts, there are some measures you can take to prevent them and slow down their growth, such as:
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Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV light.
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Treat any eye disease on time and follow the instructions of your ophthalmologist.
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Limit tobacco use.
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Maintain a balanced diet.
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Make an annual visit to your ophthalmologist to detect any condition in an early stage to receive proper treatment.
Symptoms
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If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to visit your ophthalmologist:
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Blurry vision.
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Greater sensitivity to light and glare.
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Halos around the lights.
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Difficulty seeing at night.
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The intensity of the colors are fading.
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Need to frequently change the prescription of your glasses or have to use more light than usual for some activities such as reading.
What is the surgery like and how long does it take
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Cataract surgery lasts approximately 20 minutes (it may vary in each case) and consists of removing the opaque lens and placing an intraocular lens in its place. There are different techniques that are divided into two groups:
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Phacoemulsification: the cataract is fragmented with ultrasound and aspirated through an incision smaller than 3 mm. It takes less recovery time.
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Extracapsular / Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery: It consists of making an incision of around 6mm, which allows the complete cataract to be removed without the need to fragment it. This technique requires a longer recovery time.
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After the surgery your ophthalmologist will indicate in detail the care you should have and it will be necessary to go the next day for a postoperative review.