FATHER SATURNINO URIOS UNIVERSITY

NURSING PROGRAM
BUTUAN CITY

Ma. Teresita A. Soliven

N-31

CATARACT

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. For people who have
cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up
window. Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car
(especially at night) or see the expression on a friend's face. Most cataracts develop when aging
or injury changes the tissue that makes up your eye's lens.

Signs and symptoms of cataracts includes: Clouded, blurred or dim vision, increasing
difficulty with vision at night, sensitivity to light and glare, need for brighter light for reading
and other activities, seeing "halos" around lights, frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens
prescription, fading or yellowing of colors and double vision in a single eye. To minimize the
complications of cataracts, people should have regular eye exams, especially as they get older.
Factors that may increase the chance of developing cataracts include: Age, family history,
diabetes, long-term exposure to bright sunlight, previous eye inflammation and previous eye
injury. Types of cataract:

1. Secondary cataract. Cataracts can form after surgery for other eye problems, such as
glaucoma. Cataracts also can develop in people who have other health problems, such as
diabetes. Cataracts are sometimes linked to steroid use.
2. Traumatic cataract. Cataracts can develop after an eye injury, sometimes years later.
3. Congenital cataract. Some babies are born with cataracts or develop them in childhood,
often in both eyes. These cataracts may be so small that they do not affect vision. If they
do, the lenses may need to be removed.
4. Radiation cataract. Cataracts can develop after exposure to some types of radiation.

Lens extraction is the definitive treatment for senile cataract. It can be accomplished via
the following procedures: Intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE) - Involves extraction of the
entire lens, including the posterior capsule and zonules; the many postoperative complications
associated with this procedure has led to a significant decline in its use & Extracapsular cataract
extraction (ECCE) - Involves the removal of the lens nucleus through an opening in the anterior
capsule and a relatively large limbal incision, with retention of the integrity of the posterior
capsule.