Decreased distance or near vision, difficulty in driving, frequent changes in spectacle
numbers are among the symptoms of cataracts.

Decreased distance or near vision, faded and yellowed colors, difficulty in driving, light sensitivity and seeing rings around lights, double vision in one eye, frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens numbers, and sometimes even the sudden decrease in the need for reading glasses in patients who use reading glasses or start seeing close-up without glasses are indicators of cataract development. While cataract is defined as an irreversible disorder, surgical applications come to the fore as the only treatment method. There is a natural crystalline lens just behind the colored layer of the eye. This lens is transparent and reduces the rays coming into the eye to the retinal nerve layer and provides a clear image. Opacification and clouding of this lens for different reasons leads to blurred and low vision. This condition is called cataract. Beware if your glasses number changes frequently! Age-related cataracts usually progress gradually. Therefore, the patient may not feel any change in vision in the early stages. While the prevalence of cataracts is 5% around the age of 65, it increases to 50% at the age of 75. However, cataract is not only an age-related disease. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, exposure to sunlight, radiation, long-term use of cortisone medication, eye trauma, uveitis or previous eye surgery can cause cataracts to appear at an earlier age. Congenital cataracts can also be seen in infants. Some metabolic diseases, consanguineous marriage, certain diseases and infections in the womb, and the use of medication during pregnancy can lead to this condition. The only treatment method for cataracts is surgery and the diagnosis is made by an ophthalmologist through a biomicroscopic examination. The only treatment for cataract is surgery and cataract surgery is the most common procedure in ophthalmology.

March 2023