Cataract is a condition where there’s clouding and discoloration of the eye’s naturally transparent lens. This happens when there’s a build-up of proteins in the lens. As a result, less light enters the eye, causing fuzzy vision, heightened sensitivity to glare and impaired vision in the dark.
The size of the problem
Primarily associated with the elderly but known to also affect children and adolescents, cataracts are a leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide. Putting the scale of the problem into perspective, Dr Julian Theng, medical director of Eagle Eye Centre, says, “Globally, an estimated 65 million go blind purely due to cataracts.”
In developed countries like Singapore however, the prevalence of cataracts is lower, partly due to access to high-quality, affordable medical care. Despite this, more than 60% of patients, or three in five, are unaware that they have cataracts, says Dr Theng, who’s a Singlife panel specialist.
“About 20% to 30% of patients go to an eye doctor for issues related to cataracts with many requiring cataract surgery. More than 30,000 cataract surgeries are performed in Singapore annually,” he adds.
With our ageing society and a growing prevalence of other medical conditions, like diabetes, the number of patients needing cataract surgery is likely to increase.
What you need to know about cataracts
Dr Theng reveals six facts about cataracts that’ll help you understand eye health better.
Fact 1: “Cloudy eye” isn’t always due to cataracts.
Source: Pexels
When someone says, “My vision is getting more cloudy”, it could be due to a developing cataract or something more sinister like inflammation or bleeding in the eye.
Similarly, a statement like “I see something cloudy in my eye” could refer to a developing cataract where the normal red reflex in the eye is no longer seen, or it could be the result of a completely different issue, such as corneal swelling where the cornea is no longer transparent and appears hazy, or an infection where there may be white spots on the cornea.
It’s important to have a thorough eye check to ascertain the underlying cause of the symptoms.
Fact 2: Some people dismiss cataracts as a normal part of ageing that they have to live with.
In Singapore, the majority of patients with cataracts get appropriate treatment in a timely manner. However, a small portion of patients continually dismiss their symptoms of blurred vision and even accept it as a normal part of ageing. Some patients have a cataract that is more severe in one eye and continues to function with just one good eye, not realising that leaving the cataract untreated can result in permanent vision loss. While changing to a new pair of glasses can improve vision in patients with cataracts, this may be a temporary fix. A sign of a worsening cataract could also be the need for frequent changing of glasses because the degree in the eye fluctuates as the cataract develops.
Fact 3: Smoking and diabetes increase your risk of developing cataracts.
Smoking increases the risks of conditions like lung cancer, heart disease and even stroke. A lesser-known fact is that smoking also increases the risk of developing cataracts. That’s one more great reason to quit this deleterious habit.
Another common health issue, diabetes, increases the risk of cataracts too. It can also cause other vision problems like bleeding and swelling in the eye. To make the problem worse, poor blood sugar control increases the risk of severe infections and impairs wound healing.
Fact 4: It’s impossible to reverse severe cataracts without surgery.
Source: Pexels
For some people with mild cataracts, using a magnifying glass or changing to higher power spectacles may bring their vision to an acceptable level. But this isn’t a permanent fix for more serious conditions, as the cataracts will become more dense and progressively require more frequent changing of spectacles to higher power. Surgery is needed when the patient is unable to see well enough to perform daily activities even with the use of spectacles.
However, there’s no need to wait till this point to have surgery; it can be done at any stage of the cataract development.
Fact 5: A cataract removal surgery takes 15 to 20 minutes, and you can return to most of your daily activities within seven to 10 days.
During what’s known as phacoemulsification surgery, ultrasound energy is used to break up the cataract to allow its removal through a vacuum system. Once the cataract is removed, an artificial lens (Intra-Ocular Lens) is inserted into the eye. This allows restoration of vision, correcting refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism at the same time. Vision will be better by the next day after surgery, with more stable visual improvement within four weeks.
Post surgery, you’ll be able to return to most of your daily activities like reading the newspapers and cooking within seven to 10 days. Avoid getting any water into the eye, avoid swimming in the first month and avoid vigorous exercise in the first one to two weeks. Resist the urge to rub the eye and use the prescribed eye drops as indicated. You’ll be given goggles to wear at night, to prevent eye rubbing during sleep.
Fact 6: A cataract usually doesn’t come back after removal.
Once a cataract is removed, it won’t come back again. In some patients, an after-cataract (Posterior Capsule Opacification) develops. This is due to the proliferation of residual cells which line the bag of the lens resulting in the feeling that a cataract has come back. After-cataracts are easily treated with a laser, which permanently removes it.
- Get regular health checks to screen for diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
- Wear sunglasses when outdoors to reduce UV damage to structures in and around the eye, such as the eyelids and conjunctiva.
- Eat a balanced diet rich in omega-3 foods like sardines, spinach and almonds to help with dry eye symptoms.
- Take care of your general health as conditions like hypertension and diabetes can lead to poor vision.
This article first appeared on Singlife, a leading homegrown financial services company, offering consumers a better way to financial freedom. Through innovative, technology-enabled solutions and a wide range of products and services, Singlife provides consumers control over their financial wellbeing at every stage of their lives.
Notes
This article is for educational purposes and is not intended to serve as legal, tax, investment or accounting advice and nothing contained here shall constitute a distribution, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy. Accordingly, no warranty whatsoever is given, and no liability whatsoever will be accepted by Singapore Life Ltd for any loss arising whether directly or indirectly as a result from you acting based on this information.
