Your eyes have a lens that transmits light on to the retina, enabling you to see. These lenses are clear and allow light to transmit without any obstructions; just like clean windows allow sunlight to enter a room. With increasing age, the lenses become cloudy, like window glasses with a layer of dirt. The cloudy lens creates blurry or cloudy vision, making it difficult for the patient to see clearly. This condition is called cataract. Cataracts progress gradually and the vision gets blurrier with time. A cataract specialist in Vadodara will be able to help you in timing the surgery for both eyes according to their progression.
It is possible to have cataracts in both eyes at the same time.
When cataracts develop due to some other eye disorders, mainly uveitis or glaucoma, they are referred to as complicated cataracts. The difference between simple cataracts (also known as senile cataract) and complicated cataracts is that:
- Simple cataracts happen due to progressing age whereas complicated cataracts happen due to eye infection or disorder such as uveitis or glaucoma
- Simple cataracts affect the elderly (people over the age of 50) whereas complicated cataracts may affect people regardless of their age (children too).
Glaucoma is an eye disorder that damages the optic nerve. Optic nerves help the brain in interpreting the light signals into images/vision. Usually, not always, high blood pressure inside your eye is the main cause of glaucoma. It can affect people of any age, but mostly it is the elderly (people over the age of 60) who are more prone to it. Since glaucoma doesn’t have any symptoms until it has progressed to an advanced stage, glaucoma is most often diagnosed at a very advanced stage.
Glaucoma and Cataract: Can they happen at the same time?
Having glaucoma and cataract at the same time is possible. Though, both the conditions are unrelated to each other. However, diagnosis of one condition may lead to the diagnosis of another. Usually, the diagnosis of cataract leads to the diagnosis of glaucoma. Treatments for both the conditions need to be carefully coordinated to ensure optimum visibility outcome for the patient. A glaucoma specialist in Vadodara can help in treating both the eye diseases at the same time.
Treatment for complicated cataract:
Complicated cataracts have to be treated with cataract surgery. Though, it the timing of the surgery that is most crucial and depend on many factors such as:
- The severity of the primary disorder that caused complicated cataract. Controlling the primary disorder is extremely crucial for a successful cataract surgery
- Cataract surgery may not be advised in case the vision can be corrected with glasses
- Cataract surgery may have to be expedited in case there is severe vision loss
Consult a cataract surgery specialist in Vadodara for diagnosis of cataract or glaucoma.
Can Glaucoma and Cataract cause blindness?
Cataracts happen slowly over time. They cloud the lens of the eye leading to increased blurrier vision each day, eventually leading to blindness. Fortunately, timely surgical intervention can reverse the effect of cataracts.
Glaucoma, however, consists of a group of eye diseases that cause intraocular pressure that damages the optic nerves leading to vision loss and is not reversible. Consulting a glaucoma surgery specialist in Vadodara may help in preventing the progression of glaucoma.
In some cases, it has been observed that Intraocular pressure is reduced after cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is thus deemed useful adjunct in the treatment of glaucoma.
FAQs
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition that affects the eyes and can lead to vision loss. It occurs when the eye does not drain fluid properly and the pressure inside the eye becomes too high.
How common is cataract and glaucoma?
According to statistics, cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40, and glaucoma is the second leading cause.
Can glaucoma and cataracts be treated?
Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the optic nerve and can lead to blindness. It is often associated with high pressure in the eye. Treatment typically involves lowering the pressure in the eye with eye drops, pills, or surgery. Cataracts are a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, making it difficult to see. Treatment typically involves surgically removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear lens.