A cataract causes the lens of the eye to become opaque which means the lens can no longer allow light to pass through to the retina as it should. It is the clouding of the lens in the eye and it affects the vision of the patient. Although cataracts are usually related to aging, the condition can be triggered by other factors such as the intake of too much caffeinated coffee. They are commonly found in older people, many of whom either get a cataract by age 80 or would have had a cataract surgery by then. Here are some facts about cataracts.
Facts About Cataracts
* You can develop cataract one or both eyes, but it cannot spread from one eye to the other.
* There are different types of cataracts.
* Cataracts are clumps of protein. The lens mainly consists of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a manner that allows light to pass through, but when it begins to clump together it starts to cloud out small areas of the lens therefore interfering with the light that should reach the retina.
Types of Cataracts
As mentioned before, the development of cataracts can be triggered by various factors. This means that cataracts differ. The types of cataracts are:
1. Secondary cataract - Can develop after a surgery glaucoma or other eye problems. Diabetes and other health problems or even use of steroids can cause cataracts to develop.
2. Traumatic cataract - An old injury to the eye can form the perfect trigger for cataract to form years later.
3. Congenital cataract - This can occur in newborns or they can develop during childhood. It often forms in both eyes, and can sometimes be so small that the child's vision is unaffected. If the cataract impeded the child's vision the lenses may have to be removed.
Treatment methods for the elderly include the use of new eyeglasses, anti-glare sunglasses, magnifying lenses or brighter lighting. These treatments are aimed at treating the symptoms and improving sight, but when this fails then the only other effective treatment used by conventional medicine is surgery. This entails the removal of the cloudy lens that would then be replaced by artificial lenses.
Natural alternative treatment - Pinhole glasses
There is an even far better way to treat cataracts. It is better because it cost far less than conventional treatments and yields far better results as it treats the causative factor and not just the symptoms of cataracts. Pinhole glasses uses a simple but effective technology that you could safely say imitates the squinting of the eye to gain more focus on the object of our attention.
Pinhole glasses are actually designed with perforated plastic lenses that allow only filtered light to enter the eye before it is passed on to the retina. Here are some benefits that an elderly individual using pinhole glasses would experience:
1. Instant improvement in vision clarity and resolution.
2. Increased object brightness.
3. Only one pair needed for all situations - reading or watching TV.
Pinhole glasses are very effective in delaying the development of cataracts to the point where they require surgery. These glasses restrict the light that enters the center of the lens and reduces the scattering so that the patient has improved vision. This can be felt as soon as they start wearing the glasses. They are a very affordable alternative to conventional treatment.