Does cataract spread by contagion?

Written by Li Min

Ophthalmology

Updated on September 14, 2024

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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.

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Written by Deng Jiang Tao

Ophthalmology

34sec

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Is vitreous opacity cataract?

Vitreous opacity and cataract are two different concepts; they are two different diseases. Vitreous opacity occurs when the collagen in the vitreous cavity slowly emulsifies into a turbidity. A cataract occurs when the lens inside the human eye becomes cloudy, forming a cataract. These are two completely different diseases, and their treatment methods are generally different as well. Cataract treatment primarily involves surgery, whereas vitreous opacity, including floaters, does not require surgical treatment.

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Written by Deng Jiang Tao

Ophthalmology

1min 5sec

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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.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong

Ophthalmology

38sec

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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.

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Written by Hu Shu Fang

Ophthalmology

58sec

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Postoperative Care for Cataract Surgery

Post-cataract surgery, it is crucial to maintain eye hygiene. Patients must follow the doctor's orders, regularly use antibiotic eye drops to prevent eye infections, and avoid allowing bacteria to enter the eye and cause intraocular inflammation, a very frightening postoperative complication. If intraocular inflammation occurs, the eye will become red and painful, and vision will significantly decrease, necessitating emergency surgery. Therefore, patients should clean their hands, apply eye drops on time, avoid letting tap water enter the eye, and refrain from rubbing their eyes to prevent reopening the wound and bacterial invasion. After surgery, it is also important to keep bowel movements regular to avoid constipation, which can increase abdominal pressure and cause eye pain due to straining.

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Written by Zhou Qing

Ophthalmology

1min 24sec

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Early symptoms of cataracts

The early symptoms of cataracts can manifest as day blindness or night blindness. When the cloudiness of the lens originates from the middle of the eye, the strong daylight and illumination can cause the pupil to contract, which then blocks the light from entering the eye, resulting in day blindness. When the cloudiness of the lens is located around the periphery of the eye, the dim light at night cannot reach the peripheral retina, thus causing night blindness. Other early symptoms of cataracts include the following: when the cloudiness of the lens is located at the pupil, patients may see fixed dots or patches of shadow in front of their eyes. However, since cataracts share similar characteristics with floaters, they should be distinguished; the shadows in floaters can move, while the shadows in cataracts are fixed. Varying degrees of blurry vision are also early symptoms of cataracts. Patients may experience gradually increasing blurriness of vision, often perceiving halos around lights or seeing colors of objects as dull and unclear. The early development of cataracts is quite slow and can be determined by the deepest and most obvious part of the lens cloudiness and its development condition.