Preview

An Introduction to Cataracts

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1985 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
An Introduction to Cataracts
Abstract
Cataracts will affect almost everyone’s vision at some point in their life. Some people may be able to deal with the cataracts with glasses while others must have cataract surgery in order to improve their vision. The paper explains what a cataract is, who it affects, the development of cataract surgery leading to modern day surgical techniques, as well as the possible complications and benefits after cataract surgery. There was once a time that cataracts caused people to become what they considered blind, but now with modern technology and modern medicine people have the ability to proceed with their life with just minor adjustments to their daily activities.

An Introduction to Cataracts and Cataract Surgery Everyone has different vision, and everyone has different points in their life where they may notice their vision changing. One major medical condition that can affect a person’s vision is a cataract. It is important to understand what a cataract is and who it commonly impacts, the development of cataract surgery leading to the modern surgical technique, and the possible complications and benefits of having cataract surgery.
What is a Cataract and Who is Commonly Impacted? A cataract, simply put, is the cloudiness of the clear natural lens in the eye (Buettner, p. 101). People who have cataracts have trouble seeing sharp figures, often times the objects they see are fuzzy or dim. The cataracts do not form suddenly but progress and get more advanced with time. The natural proteins of the lens begin to deteriorate between the age of 40 and 45 (Newmark, 38). People with cataracts often have trouble driving, difficulty reading, and even trouble seeing expressions on other’s faces. Cataracts can also cause extreme trouble with sensitivity to sunlight and headlights or streetlights (p. 101). Cataracts occur with the normal aging sclerosis, as the lens becomes less resilient, less transparent, and thicker (Gordon, p. 50). In The Eye Book



References: American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2011). Who Is at Risk for Cataracts? Billig, O.D., Michael, Cassel, M.D., Gary, Randall, M.D., Harry. (1998). The Eye Book: A Complete Guide to Eye Disorders and Health. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press. Buettner, M.D., Helmut. (2002). Mayo Clinic on Vision and Eye Health. Rochester, MN: Kensington Publishing. Gordon, Sandra. (2001). The Aging Eye. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Guttman, Cheryl. (2009, October 1). Analyses Examine Association Between Risk Factors, Cataracts. Ophthalmology Times. Kanski, Jack J. (2007). Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systemic Approach. Philadelphia, PA: Butterworth, Heinemann, Elsevier. Newmark, M.D., Emanuel. (2006). Ophthalmic Medical Assisting. San Francisco, CA: Essilor Rajecki, Ron. (2008, October 15). Advances in Cataract Surgery Bring New Complications Along with Benefits. Ophthalmology Times.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Frederick “Fred” Cossom Hollows was a humanitarian and an ophthalmologist. He was born on 9 April 1929, in Dunedin, in New Zealand. In 1965, when he worked in Australia at The Prince of Wales Hospital he did the first successful cataract operation in the world. After this operation he became famous. From 1965-1992, Fred was Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. In 1981, he won the Advance Australia award of Aboriginal eye care. In 1985, he was a member at The World Health Organisation. In 1990, he received a Human Rights Medal. In 1992, in Vietnam he made a lot of free cataract operations for the poor people. In addition, he taught the cataract surgeries there how can make successful cataract operations.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The crystalline lens is a complex structure of very fine fibres with delicately balanced chemistry of proteins, water and a small portion consisting of minerals. However if this balance is upset the lens can begin to become opaque. This can result from excess water in the lens, disturbance in the arrangement of the fibres, interference with the proteins in the lens and deposits of calcium compound and other substances thus resulting in a cataract. There are several types of cataracts and several different types. Cataracts can be congenital, acquired, traumatic or senile. Congenital cataracts are there from birth and until they are removed the child is blind. Diseases such as diabetes or exposure to radiation however often cause acquired cataracts. However traumatic cataracts are caused by a blow to the eye that sends a shockwave through the media of the eye causing tissue damage and tears in the material. Senile cataracts are found universally in many people over the age of 80 and are a part of the aging…

    • 2410 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Argus 2 Research Paper

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Have you ever wonder if there is some type of device that can help heal the blind? Brian Mech, who is vice president of Second Sight Medical Products, had created the Argus II. This device was created for those who suffer from a genetic disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP. The disease causes someone to lose vison because the retina isn’t functioning properly. The Argus II can actually send a signal to the implanted chip in the back of the eye’s retina and translates the directives into sight. The humanitarian device is able to change lives for those who struggle from the RP disease.…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diabetic Retinopathy, which is loss of vision and blindness, happens when tiny blood vessels grow in the eye, and the high concentration of glucose in fluid that are around the eye makes them fragile. Tiny bulges can be developed in the retina and it can develop in other areas in the eye, and if they start to leak or burst, the fluid and blood can spread throughout the eye. After it starts spreading, blood clot and scar tissue can start to form in front of the retina, which prevents light from hitting the retina, causing blindness. If the fluid is released it can cause swelling which leads to blurred vision. There is no treatment when this occurs ,but the prevention of the build up of glucose surrounding the blood vessels in the eye and the…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bibliography: Angeles Vision Clinic. "What is Keratoconus and What are the Treatment Options?" March 9, 2006 http://www.avclinic.com/keratoconus.htm…

    • 1970 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sensory Case Study

    • 759 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Normal vision changes that occur with aging consist of decreased visual acuity, lessened ability to adapt to darkness and dim light, decreased accommodation to see near and far objects, loss of peripheral vision, atrophy of lacrimal glands, and difficulty discriminating similar colors. Presbyopia is the inability to focus or accommodate due to a loss of flexibility of the lens, causing decreased near vision. Cataracts are also very common in older adults; they cause the eye to have increased lens opacity in which reduces visual acuity and causes glares. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults over the age of 65.…

    • 759 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Herpes Simplex Virus

    • 3306 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection is widespread and causes significant disease in humans. The structure, epidemiology, pathogensis and immune response are examined in this review, as well as specific ways to reduce and eliminate pathology and related diseases. The virus naturally infects mucosal areas and begins the search for its target host cell. Upon binding to the host cell membrane via teams of glycoproteins, the virion is then phagocytosed. Soon the nucleus is seized and all regular host cell mechanisms are shut off. Replication of HSV-1 is specific encoding immediate early, early and late genes. Once the virus replication process is complete the virus exits epithelial cells near the site of infection through a process known as cell lysis. Sensory neurons are the specific target of HSV-1, where it can then travel to the trigeminal ganglia (TG) stoma via neuronal microtubular networks. Both innate and adaptive immune systems respond to the infection with various antibodies, interleukins and interferons. Once the virion reaches the nervous system, the immune responses are unable to detect it although they try to contain it as best they can. HSV-1 enters a latent stage, usually via latent associated transcripts, not causing pathogenesis but unable to fight off by means of the host immune system. Following a stressful situation or similarly UV activation, HSV-1 travels back down nerve fibers to re-infect cells near the original site of infection. This process is known to continue throughout the lifespan of the infected individual, normally without fatalities. When the host immune response is unable to contain the virus in the TG, several associated diseases such as encephalitis and keratits result. Genes involved with virus replication and host genes, to eliminate the virus, have been maneuvered to cause reverse effects and are currently…

    • 3306 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you had a loved one that was affected by cataracts? Most likely you have, because “cataracts affect more than 24.4 million Americans age 40 and older.” What is cataracts? Cataracts is the clouding of the lens, which causes blurry vision and sometimes even blindness, but can be cured by the Laserphaco Probe. The discovery of the Laserphaco Probe had an individual and a social impact on American life.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sensory Loss

    • 1975 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Diabetes: The most serious complication of diabetes for the eye is the development of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels of the eye and if they become blocked or leak then the retina and possibly your vision will be affected.…

    • 1975 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sickle Cell Disease

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Eye problems. The retina, the "film" at the back of the eye that receives and processes visual images, can deteriorate when it does not get enough nourishment from circulating red blood cells. Damage to the retina can be serious enough to cause blindness.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The least horrific effect that diabetes has on an individual is the effect it has on someone's eyes. Diabetes can cause vision loss, glaucoma, and blindness. Researches show that increased sugar in blood vessels, such as the vessels in someone's eyes, can cause damage to the vessels producing eye problems. When diagnosed with diabetes, the individual has to visit their doctors regularly, and stay on their medication to prevent deterioration to their sight. Although, many people go undiagnosed for years inducing further eye issues. By the time they are diagnosed, many no longer have healthy vision or…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A visual impairment is when a person’s sense of sight is completely gone and the change is irreversible. However this can also mean someone is partially sighted, where their sight may be blurred or only able to see out of one eye. A visual impairment can be caused by age illness or incident; it prevents the patient being able to recognise people by face, body and other visual elements. To overcome tis barrier glasses may be worn in some partial sighted cases, and a form of written communication called braille may be used. Braille is created by making indentations in materials patterned to represent letters without actually outlining the shape of the letter.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Uveitis

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Association, A. O. (2010). Care of the Patient with Anterior Uveitis. Healthy People 2010 Vision.…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Cataract

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A cataract is a condition which affects the eye. This condition causes a normally transparent eye lens to become cloudy or opaque. The cloudiness of the cataract can impair ones vision and may even lead to blindness. A cataract may occur in just one or both eyes; however, it cannot spread from one eye to another. The lens, where a cataract occurs, is a clear part of the eye that assists in focusing light or images on the retina. The retina is the light sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. In normal eyesight process, light passes through the clear part of the lens through the retina. After reaching the retina, that light is then transformed into nerve signals and then sent to the brain. In order for the retina to receive…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of the 12 million blind in India, 60 percent can be attributed to cataract. It is, in fact, the…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics