What are the treatment methods for cataracts?

Written by Peng Xi Feng

Ophthalmology

Updated on September 28, 2024

00:00

00:00

For the treatment of cataracts, the curative method is surgery, as medications generally do not have a curative effect. For early-stage cataracts, medications can control the condition. However, for advanced cataracts, medications are essentially ineffective. Currently, there is no specific drug for treating cataracts, and surgery is the best option. The common surgical methods for cataract are: 1. Intracapsular cataract extraction; 2. Phacoemulsification; The modern technique of extracapsular cataract extraction combined with the implantation of an artificial lens has become the most widely used surgical method and is also a relatively mature technique.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Peng Xi Feng

Ophthalmology

48sec

home-news-image

How is a cataract formed?

Inside the eyeball, there is a relatively important transparent tissue called the lens. Clinically, clouding of the lens is referred to as cataracts. Many factors, such as aging, genetics, metabolic abnormalities like diabetes, trauma, radiation, poisoning, and local nutritional disorders, can lead to damage to the capsule of the lens, increasing its permeability and losing its barrier function, or causing metabolic disturbances in the lens. This can cause the proteins in the lens to denature, leading to cloudiness of the lens, which is known as cataracts. Under a slit lamp microscope, varying degrees of cloudiness in the lens can be observed.

home-news-image

Written by Li Min

Ophthalmology

46sec

home-news-image

Is cataract easy to treat?

If you are diagnosed with cataracts, we generally use surgical methods nowadays. Our surgical approach typically involves cataract phacoemulsification combined with the implantation of an artificial lens. If you have a simple case of cataracts without any other eye diseases—such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, or central retinal vein occlusion—the outcome after surgery is generally good. As for the eye drops for treating cataracts advertised on TV, like Sharp Eye Love, their effectiveness is not very certain in our medical practice. Currently, the main method of treating cataracts is still through surgery.

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.

home-news-image

Written by Peng Xi Feng

Ophthalmology

48sec

home-news-image

Cataract is what?

All sorts of reasons, such as aging, genetics, local nutritional disorders, immune and metabolic abnormalities, trauma, poisoning, radiation, etc., can cause metabolic disorders in the lens, leading to the denaturation of the lens proteins and resulting in opacity known as cataract. At this point, the light is obstructed by the opaque lens and cannot be projected onto the retina, causing blurred vision. It is commonly seen in people over the age of forty, and the incidence increases with age. This disease can be divided into congenital cataracts and acquired cataracts. Congenital cataracts are also known as developmental cataracts, and there are six types of acquired cataracts.

home-news-image

Written by Li Min

Ophthalmology

42sec

home-news-image

Does cataract spread by contagion?

Firstly, cataracts are the clouding of the lens inside our eyes, known as cataracts. Cataracts are not contagious. Based on the cause, cataracts can be classified into age-related cataracts (previously referred to as senile cataracts), metabolic cataracts, secondary cataracts, traumatic cataracts, and radiation cataracts. The most common type in clinical settings is age-related cataracts, which are commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly individuals over fifty years old. Its clinical presentation is a painless, gradual decline in vision. Currently, the only effective treatment is surgical intervention.