What department should I go to for cataracts?

Written by Peng Xi Feng
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 05, 2024
00:00
00:00

The department for cataract consultations is ophthalmology. Various factors such as aging, genetics, local nutritional disorders, immune and metabolic abnormalities, trauma, poisoning, radiation, etc., can cause metabolic disturbances in the lens, leading to the denaturation of lens proteins and resulting in opacity, known as cataracts. At this time, light is obstructed by the cloudy lens and cannot be projected onto the retina, causing blurred vision. This condition is commonly seen in individuals over forty years old, and the incidence increases with age. The disease can also be divided into congenital cataracts and acquired cataracts.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
38sec home-news-image

Cataract ou, od, os means what?

OU, OD, and OS are common descriptions in ophthalmology. OU represents both eyes, OD represents the right eye, and OS represents the left eye. These are abbreviations. For example, visual acuity for both eyes is denoted as OU, visual acuity for the left eye as OS, and visual acuity for the right eye as OD. These terms are typically used in medical records, not only to describe conditions like cataracts. For instance, the condition of cataracts in both eyes would be described as OU: OD 0.1, OS 0.3.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
41sec home-news-image

Does cataract cause headache?

The main symptoms of cataracts include a decline in vision, with both near and far objects appearing unclear, and blurry vision. There is no significant eye pain or headaches, nor does it cause redness in the eyes. If headaches do occur, it is important to investigate the cause, such as checking if there is an increase in eye pressure or if the headache is caused by glaucoma, and to treat according to the specific cause. However, in the later stages or over-mature stage of cataracts, the lens may dissolve, which can potentially lead to phacolytic glaucoma, but this condition is very rare.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Jiang Tao
Ophthalmology
1min 5sec home-news-image

Consequences of not undergoing cataract surgery

First, it is important to understand what cataracts are. Cataracts are the clouding of the lens cortex, which commonly refers to the gradual whitening of the central pupil area, the black part of the eye. Cataracts, based on their stage of development, are divided into early, middle, and late stages. In the early stage of cataract, the vision is slightly impaired. In the middle stage, the cortex becomes moderately clouded, and vision might still be around 0.4 or 0.5. In the late stage, the cataract is severely matured, generally with vision lower than 0.3. Cataract in its early and middle stages might not necessarily require immediate surgery. However, in late stages, when vision drops below 0.3, surgery should be considered. If not treated surgically, the mature cataract can completely block light, progressively decreasing vision and eventually leading to blindness. Therefore, it is advisable to consider surgical treatment for cataracts in the late stage.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
59sec home-news-image

What are the early symptoms of cataracts?

Cataracts are a vision-impairing disease caused by the clouding of the lens, a crucial optical component in the human eyeball, which is normally transparent. The clouding occurs due to the denaturation of lens proteins for various reasons, leading to various degrees of vision impairment in patients. Some patients with cataracts may not exhibit noticeable symptoms in the early stages, while others may experience mild blurriness in vision initially. As the cloudiness of the lens gradually worsens, the blurring of vision progressively intensifies. Some may even experience symptoms like nearsightedness, double vision, strabismus, or glare. If these symptoms occur, it is advised to seek prompt medical attention from an ophthalmologist, undergo relevant examinations, and based on the extent of lens cloudiness, decide whether cataract removal surgery is necessary.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
48sec home-news-image

Can cataracts be treated with medication in the early stages?

Cataract is a common eye disease and is currently the leading cause of blindness. It often occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, patients with high myopia, and those with chronic inflammation in the eyes. Cataracts can cause a decline in vision, severely reducing the quality of life. In the early stages of cataract formation, it is possible to treat with medication, such as applying eye drops like benzylarginine and pinoxacin, which can delay and prevent the worsening of cataracts. However, it cannot reverse the vision decline caused by cataracts. If the vision decline caused by cataracts has severely affected normal life, work, and study, surgical treatment should be considered promptly. Only by removing the cloudy lens inside the eyeball and replacing it with a transparent artificial lens can vision be restored.