Cataract Overview

This post is also available in: العربية (Arabic)

🔍 What Is a Cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. This clouding causes blurry or dim vision and is a common cause of visual impairment, especially with age.

📊 Causes of Cataracts:

Age-related (most common) Congenital (present at birth or developing in childhood) Traumatic (after injury to the eye) Secondary (due to conditions like diabetes or prolonged steroid use) Radiation-induced (e.g. UV or X-ray exposure)

👁️ Symptoms:

Blurry or hazy vision Glare and halos around lights, especially at night Faded colors Increased sensitivity to light Double vision in one eye Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription

🔬 Diagnosis:

Visual acuity test Slit-lamp examination Dilated fundus exam Tonometry (to check intraocular pressure, although not for cataract per se)

💡 Treatment:

Early stage: Stronger lighting and magnification Updated glasses prescription UV-protection sunglasses Advanced stage: Surgical removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with an intraocular lens (IOL) is the only definitive treatment.

🔧 Types of Cataract Surgery:

Phacoemulsification (Phaco): Most common—ultrasound breaks up the lens. Manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS): More common in resource-limited settings. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS): Uses laser for incisions and lens fragmentation.

👓 Intraocular Lens (IOL) Options:

Monofocal IOL: Single distance focus (usually for distance) Multifocal IOL: Allows both near and distance focus Toric IOL: Corrects astigmatism Extended depth of focus (EDOF): A compromise between mono and multifocal

⚠️ Postoperative Considerations:

Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops Protection from injury (eye shield) Avoiding water/soap in the eye initially Final refraction usually after ~4–6 weeks

Would you like:

Surgical videos or diagrams? Pre-op vs post-op patient counseling points? Cataract surgery complications? Information in Arabic?