Causes of cataract development
The disease develops when the organs of vision are affected by the following reasons:
- insufficient consumption of nutrients, microelements, minerals, vitamins;
- large amounts of protein foods;
- presence of bad habits such as smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction;
- intoxication of the body;
- complications from diabetes mellitus, as a result of which conglomerates of glucose and cholesterol appear, clogging the vessels of the eyes, hypovitaminosis, metabolic disorders, hypoxia are formed (tissues cannot regenerate sufficiently, they atrophy);
- vascular pathologies leading to blockage of the microcirculation of the eyes (atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, thrombosis);
- a complication of glaucoma is increased intraocular pressure, which is formed due to excessive secretion of intraocular fluid, as a result of which the chamber of the eye compresses the lens.
Since there are many reasons for the development of the disease, the doctor is obliged to identify the most important one. Only if it is eliminated will the risk of developing secondary cataracts after treatment be reduced.
Cataracts and drug therapy
Drug treatment without surgery involves the use of special eye drops. They do not cure completely, but they can slow down and stop the development of the disease. Several medications with different effects are prescribed for a course of therapy.
Some improve blood circulation, others are aimed at improving nutrition and cell metabolism, while others replenish the lack of microelements and vitamins. Typically the drops contain: magnesium, calcium, potassium, nicotinic and ascorbic acid, glutaine, cysteine, thiamine, triphosphadenine, riboflavin, methyluricyl.
Only a doctor, after consultation and examination, will be able to prescribe this or that drug and select the dosage. Long-term use of the same drug usually causes addiction in the body, which is why its effectiveness decreases significantly over time. Use strictly according to instructions.
Since cataracts are often accompanied by various chronic diseases, it is important to simultaneously treat the underlying disease. If you manage to control your diseases - cerebral atherosclerosis, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, then the development of the disease slows down.
Remember, cataracts are a very serious disease; if treatment is not started on time, the progressive disease can lead to complete loss of vision. Immediately go to the doctor when the first symptoms appear, who will make the right decision on the method of treatment.
Unfortunately, conservative therapy cannot completely cure the disorder. But it is possible to stop the development process. Self-medication is also contraindicated. Only under the supervision of a doctor who will observe the dynamics. If drug treatment does not bring the desired effect, then surgery is necessary.
Symptoms of cataracts
The disease develops characteristic clinical symptoms:
- in the early stages there is a decrease in visual acuity, in the later stages - detection of only light, objects are not visible;
- color vision impairment;
- lack of orientation in space due to decreased visual acuity;
- decreased or complete absence of lateral vision;
- a change in the color of the iris, a white spot forms in the middle part, which is visible to the naked eye (symptoms appear when the clouding of the lens spreads).
Based on clinical symptoms, the doctor can only assume a diagnosis. He confirms it thanks to instrumental examination methods.
A little about cataracts
Eye cataract is a disease characterized by clouding of the eye lens, leading to decreased vision. Mostly older people suffer from the disease. The disease can affect the entire lens or a part. If the cause of the disease is injury, then only the injured eye can go blind.
Signs of the disease are increased or decreased photosensitivity. A change in the color of the pupil may be observed; it gradually acquires a yellow or gray tint. The development of the disease can be triggered by strong heat exposure, radiation exposure, exposure to direct sunlight, and other diseases of the body.
This is a serious disease. When a person is diagnosed, he considers the only reliable, correct method of treatment to be surgical intervention with the replacement of the affected lens with an artificial one. Despite many successful operations, the question arises whether cataracts can be cured completely.
There are cases when, for various reasons, surgical treatment is impossible - a high risk of postoperative complications, lack of specialists. And few know what to do. Traditional medicine knows many methods of treatment. Read about the causes and treatment methods of cataracts in this article.
Traditional cataract treatment
If the disease has just begun to develop, the doctor identified it in time, the cloudiness forms slightly. This means that you can get by with medications. Oftan Katahrom, Katalin, Quinax, Taufon, Khrustalin are used. Doctors prescribe medication after a complete examination and medical history. A drug is used that has an effect.
If the clouding has spread, medications will not help. There are too many insoluble protein fractions. Therefore, surgery is used to remove the contents of the lens or completely extract it along with the capsule. An intraocular lens is inserted in its place, which replaces its functions. Its composition is hypoallergenic, so it is not rejected by the immune system.
Surgery
Despite the relative effectiveness of conservative methods and their ability to alleviate subjective symptoms, sooner or later the question of surgery, cataract removal and implantation of an artificial lens arises. The most common, promising and effective methods are the following.
Tunnel extraction. It involves crushing the non-functioning lens through a small incision - which, in turn, then seals itself, without additional sutures - and replacing it with an artificial lens. This technique is low-traumatic; it was developed on the principle of the least necessary intervention.
Ultrasonic phacoemulsification . A method that is even less traumatic compared to the previous one. It involves the use of an ultrasonic “scalpel”, by which the affected lens is brought into a jelly-like state and evacuated through a microscopic incision that does not then require any intervention. A lens implant is installed in the vacant space. This technique is currently, in all likelihood, the most common in the treatment of cataracts, primarily due to low morbidity and minimal pre- and postoperative preparation.
All operations of this kind, although often performed on an outpatient basis, “in one day” and under reliable local anesthesia, are technically complex procedures that require highly qualified doctors and assistant personnel, the use of computer technology, and strict adherence to methodological standards. It is also important that there are a number of alternative, more extensive methods of intervention. It all depends on the clinical picture, medical history, general condition of the patient and a number of other factors; in any case, the choice belongs to the doctor, since careful consideration of all indications and contraindications is necessary.
It should also be remembered that there are no absolutely harmless surgical interventions with zero risk of side effects and undesirable consequences, and even the most minimally invasive operation is still an operation.
At the same time, radical treatment of cataracts can be considered the pride of modern ophthalmology, since WHO recognizes this operation as the only procedure today (in medicine in general) that completely restores lost function.
Treatment of cataracts without surgery
Treatment of cataracts is reduced to the use of ophthalmic drops and surgical operation according to indications.
During the treatment period, a person must wear sunglasses to reduce the load on the natural lens. The use of a conservative treatment method cannot completely eliminate the risk of developing the disease. It only slows down the process for a while.
Drops
Various types of drops are used, they are selected depending on the indications, contraindications, side effects:
- Taufon. Eliminates degenerative processes in the eyes. Helps accelerate metabolism in the eyeballs, increases tissue regeneration. The drug should not be used by children, pregnant and lactating women.
- Khrustalin. Used to treat and prevent lens degeneration. It has an additional antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, therefore helping to eliminate infection. Has a moisturizing effect and eliminates eye irritation. No adverse reactions were identified.
- Taurine. An anti-cataract drug that helps restore damaged tissue and eliminate corneal dystrophy. The drug should not be used by children and patients with hypersensitive eyes.
This is just a small list of commonly used medications used by ophthalmologists. It is possible to prescribe other drugs that are more suitable for the patient. Drops for the treatment of cataracts are applicable only in the initial stages of the disease.
If the doctor determines that the clouding has spread, surgery is performed.
Traditional methods
If the patient detects slight clouding of the lens, complex therapy is used, consisting of the following methods:
- use of multivitamin preparations that contain group A (Blueberry Forte);
- a diet consisting of foods containing all the beneficial substances, trace elements, minerals, vitamins necessary for the normal development of the eyeballs (apples, tomatoes, carrots, sea buckthorn, lemon, oranges);
- the use of compresses on the eyes, consisting of carrots, potatoes, eucalyptus and other herbal remedies.
Traditional methods of treatment cannot be used as monotherapy. They are used as additional treatment.
Cataracts are a disease that often forms in a person’s eyes after age 50. There are specific treatment methods that will help eliminate the disease. Medications are used only in the initial stages. If the disease spreads, surgery is necessary. It completely restores the function of a person’s eyes if the doctor installs an intraocular lens.
Medicines for cataracts
In most cases, to slow down the process of lens clouding, experts prescribe medications in the form of eye drop solutions. They are used topically (dropped into the eye), but to enhance the therapeutic effect, it is also recommended to take oral medications.
Among the most common solutions recommended for the treatment of cataracts, it is worth noting the following:
- Vicein is a combination product that includes cysteine, glutamic acid, sodium salt of adenosine triphosphoric acid, potassium iodide, thiamine bromide, nicotinic acid, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. It is used daily, adding two drops. The duration of such therapy should be 1 year.
- Quinax is a solution with an antioxidant effect that protects the eyes from the harmful effects of free radicals. At the same time, these drops promote the activation of proteolytic enzymes, which dissolve opaque protein compounds in the lens, restoring its transparency.
- Taufon - drops based on taurine. This compound activates the regeneration and repair of eye tissue, improves metabolic processes, helps stabilize cell membranes, helps restore the normal electrolyte composition of the cell cytoplasm, and normalizes metabolic processes. "Taufon" is actively used for dystrophies of eye tissue, including cataracts.
- Oftan Katahrom is an ophthalmic drug containing cytochrome C, nicotinamide and adenosine, as well as some other compounds that exhibit a complex antioxidant effect with stimulation of metabolic reactions in the cells of the lens to improve its trophism. This solution, in addition, inhibits opacities in the transparent structures of the eyes, restores already clouded cells, improves blood circulation in the ocular tissues, and relieves inflammation.
- Vita-Iodurol - drops that improve metabolic processes in the lens and its nutrition, which is an excellent prevention of the accumulation of protein deposits in it.
In clinical practice, non-surgical treatment of cataracts also involves the use of solutions including riboflavin, methyluracil, insulin, adenosine triphosphoric acid, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. An aqueous solution of zinc, which must be instilled into the eye affected by cataracts, can also help restore the epithelial cells of the lens.
When it comes to oral medications, the proven effective “Lutein Complex” with a high content of blueberry extract, taurine and lutein is especially often prescribed. The drug also has a serious antioxidant effect, improves microcirculation in the ocular tissues of the eye, and slows down their age-related changes.
A similar pharmacological effect was observed in the Vitalux Plus tablets, as well as in Okuwait Lutein. These drugs are also prescribed for cataracts in order to slow down the process of clouding of the lens of the eye.
