What are Cataracts?

Cataracts are a common eye condition that usually develops slowly over several years as you age. They develop when the eye’s clear lens forms misty or cloudy patches. Cataracts usually won’t cause any damage, but they often affect your vision, making it seem like you’re viewing life through a frosty window. 

Types of Cataracts 

Cortical Cataracts

A cortical cataract develops in the lens cortex, which is the outer layer of the lens. It creates wedge-shaped, white streaks that eventually spread to the centre of the lens, making it harder for light to pass through your eyes. 

Nuclear Cataracts

This type of cataract develops in the centre of the lens (called the nucleus) and spreads to other layers of the eye as it develops. You may actually experience clearer close-up vision temporarily if you have nuclear cataracts, but your vision will become worse again as it progresses. This is because the lens turns more yellow over time, leading to blurred vision (particularly in the distance), and it can be harder to distinguish colours. 

Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts

These start to form as a small spot near the back of the lens. Posterior subcapsular cataracts make it harder to see in bright light and cause glare or halos around lights when it’s nighttime. They tend to create blurry vision, particularly affecting reading vision. A posterior subcapsular cataract often develops faster compared to other types of cataracts. 

Congenital Cataracts

Cataracts commonly affect older people, but some babies are born with cataracts or develop them shortly afterwards, and this is called congenital cataracts. Cataracts can also develop during childhood and in older babies, and this is often referred to as developmental, infantile or juvenile cataracts. 

What are the causes of Cataracts?

Age-Related changes

Age-related changes are the most common cause of cataracts, typically in those aged 60 or over. The lens in your eye is usually clear, which means it can focus the light coming into your eye onto your retina. This is where the images we see get sent to our brain. As you get older, the proteins in the lens can start to break down and clump together, affecting how light passes through the lens. This can cause the clear lens to become cloudy or develop misty spots, leading to blurry vision. 

Injury 

If an injury damages the tissue in the eye’s lens, there could be a risk of a traumatic cataract developing. There are different types of trauma that could cause cataracts, such as penetrating trauma, which is when a sharp object penetrates the outer layer of the eye and causes damage to internal structures. Blunt trauma is another form of injury which involves forceful impact to the eye, which doesn’t penetrate the outer layer, but can cause internal injury. 

Certain medical conditions 

Cataracts can sometimes be caused by other eye conditions, such as uveitis or a past eye surgery. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and severe dermatitis, can also lead to cataracts. 

Lifestyle

Lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and spending a lot of time in the sun (particularly without sunglasses) can increase the chances of cataracts developing. Taking steroid medicines for a long time and radiation treatment for cancer can also cause cataracts to develop. 

Genetic factors

If there’s a family history of cataracts, particularly if a sibling or a parent has it, then this can be a risk factor for developing cataracts.

How Cataracts affect your vision

For many people who have cataracts, it can be like looking through a frosty or foggy window. People often experience blurred or cloudy vision, or have patches where their vision isn’t as clear. Cataracts can also create glare or haloes around lights, so you might have difficulty seeing your surroundings clearly. 

Symptoms of Cataracts 

Cataracts often develop slowly over several years, so you may not notice any symptoms at first. As they develop, you may experience some of these symptoms: 

• Cloudy or blurred vision, or patches where your vision isn’t clear

• Trouble seeing at night 

• Colours appearing faded 

• Seeing glare or haloes around lights

• Double vision 

• Sensitivity to light 

• Needing to change your glasses prescription often 

• Difficulty reading 

How are Cataracts diagnosed?

Signs of cataracts will usually be spotted during your regular eye exam by your optometrist. You’ll then be referred on to specialists (like us at Newmedica) to conduct some more tests on your vision and build a suitable treatment plan for you. 

Treatment options for Cataracts

The only treatment available for cataracts at the moment is surgery, which typically takes around 15 minutes. The procedure involves removing the patient’s cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear, artificial one, known as an intraocular lens. The surgery can greatly improve your vision, and many people actually see better than they did before they developed cataracts. After surgery, you might notice an improvement in brightness, sharpness and perception of colours, and you may be able to reduce your dependence on glasses. Without surgery, your vision will most likely worsen gradually over time. 

Types of Surgery available

Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a new one. However, the techniques used to remove the lens can vary. Here are some examples: 

• Phacoemulsification: A probe is used to transmit high-frequency ultrasound waves to break up the cataract into small pieces. These fragments are then suctioned out gently.

• Extracapsular: This type of cataract surgery is carried out when the cataract is more advanced and is unlikely to be broken down through phacoemulsification. An incision is made near the outer edges of the cornea, and the cataract is usually removed in one piece. 

• Femtosecond laser-assisted: Laser technology is used for some parts of the procedure, such as breaking down the cataract and making precise incisions.

Expert Cataract Surgery with Newmedica 

When you walk through our doors, we’ll give you a warm welcome, hold your hand if you’re feeling nervous, and be there for you throughout your time with us. We recognise that being diagnosed with an eye condition, such as cataracts, can feel scary, but our personalised patient care will help you feel at ease and comfortable when you visit us. Our friendly team will be dedicated to understanding your needs so that you’re taken care of with compassion and total understanding. 

We also choose to use the highest quality lenses to get the best clinical outcomes for our patients, including some that can reduce your dependence on glasses. Our short waiting times mean you’ll have your first appointment within just a couple of weeks, and we aim to complete your cataract treatment within eight weeks of your referral. We care for more than 306,000 NHS and private patients each year in more than 30 locations across England, working with the NHS, as well as local GPs and opticians, so you can put your trust in us.