Cataract Research Paper

Cataract

Lakiedra Davis

Mrs. Cauley

EMBC

4/19/2016

Abstract

Cataract development is a very gradual process of normal aging but can occasionally occur rapidly. Many people are unaware that they have cataracts because the changes in their vision have been so gradual. Cataracts commonly affect both eyes, but it is not uncommon for cataracts in one eye to advance more rapidly. Cataracts are very common, Experts have estimated that visual disability associated with cataracts accounts for over 8 million physician office visits a year in the United States. This number will likely continue to increase as the proportion of people over the age of 60 rises (Paine David A., 2014). In this paper, I will explain the symptoms, causes, treatments and

Specific proteins within the lens are responsible for maintaining its clarity. Over many years, the structures of these lens proteins are altered, ultimately leading to a gradual clouding of the lens. A cataract scatters the light as it passes through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching your retina. As a result, your vision becomes blurred. As you age, the lenses in your eyes become less flexible, less transparent and thicker. Age-related changes can cause tissues within the lens to break down and clump together, clouding small areas within the lens. As the cataract continues to develop, the clouding becomes denser and involves a greater part of the lens (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). Rarely, cataracts can present at birth or early childhood as a result of hereditary enzyme defects, and severe trauma to the eye, eye surgery, or intraocular inflammation can also cause cataracts to occur earlier in life. Other factors that may lead to development of cataracts at an earlier age include excessive ultraviolet-light exposure, diabetes, smoking, or the use of certain medications, such as oral, topical, or inhaled steroids (Paine David A.,

These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional (National Eye Institute Authors, 2009). Having cataracts is often compared to looking through a foggy windshield of a car or through the dirty lens of a camera. Cataracts may cause a variety of complaints and visual changes, including blurred vision, difficulty with glare (often with bright sun or automobile headlights while driving at night), dulled color vision, increased nearsightedness accompanied by frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, and occasionally double vision in one eye (Paine David A.,