Cataract in Iran

Symptoms of Cataracts

To find out if you have a cataract, you must first be familiar with the symptoms of cataracts. Cataract signs and symptoms include:

1- Clouded or blurred vision

2- Decreased vision at night

3- Sensitivity to light

4- Seeing halos around the lights and light sources

5- Increase in the eye number

6- Fading or yellowing of colors

7- Dual vision when using one eye

An early cataract may affect only a small part of your cornea and only cause blurry vision. But over time, that is likely to change. At this point, you may notice that your eyesight power has decreased. When the cataract worsens, the light will deviate as it passes through the cornea of ​​your eye, causing more symptoms.

If you have recently had problems with your eyesight and have seen changes in the strength of your eyesight, visit an ophthalmologist. If you have symptoms such as double vision (you see a double image of one object), sudden eye pain, or sudden severe headaches, see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Causes of Cataract

As we age, the possibility of cataracts increases. Injuries can also cause changes in your eye tissue. In some cases, genetics and hereditary problems can increase the risk of cataracts. Sometimes some diseases, such as diabetes, can also cause cataracts. You may also experience cataracts if you have recently had eye surgery or other vision problems. Long-term use of certain steroid drugs can also cause cataracts.

How Does Cataract Form?

The lens (where cataract forms) is located just behind the iris, the colored part of your eye. The lens creates clear images on the retina (the light-sensitive membrane in the eye that works like a film in a camera) by focusing on the light that enters your eye.

As you age, your eye lenses become more flexible, transparent, and thicker. Aging and other medical conditions cause the breakdown and accumulation of tissues within the lens, making the small areas within the lens blurrier.

As cataract worsens, it affects a larger part of the eye. When light passes through the lens, cataracts cause light to be scattered and blocked, preventing a clear image from reaching your retina. This decreases your vision and you will see blurred or double images of objects. Cataract generally occurs in both eyes, but the severity is not the same in the eyes. For example, the cataract may be more severe in your right eye, which can cause vision problems.

Types of Cataract

Cataract has different types based on the affected area. Types of cataracts include:

1- Cataract affecting the lens center (nuclear cataract)

A nuclear cataract may initially cause clearer vision or even a temporary improvement in vision. But over time, the lens gradually turns yellow, making your vision blurrier.

As cataract gradually grows, it may cause the lens to change from yellow to brown. This brownish tint will make it harder to interpret objects.

2- Cataracts that affect the edges of the lens (cortical cataracts)

Cortical cataracts begin as whitish spots or streaks on the outer edge of the lens cortex. This type of cataract grows very slowly until it expands to the center veins, interfering with passage of light through the lens.

3- Cataract that affects the back of the lens (cataract under the posterior capsule)

Cataracts under the posterior capsule begin as a small, opaque area that usually forms near the back of the lens, right in the direction of the light. Cataracts under the posterior capsule often cause problems for you while reading. It reduces your eyesight in intense light and creates an aura around the lights at night. This type of cataract progresses faster than other types of this disease.

4- Cataracts you were born with (congenital cataracts)

Some people are born with cataracts or are infected as children. These cataracts may be genetic or caused by a uterine infection during the embryonic period. Sometimes trauma to the mother’s abdomen during pregnancy causes congenital cataracts. This type of cataract may also be due to certain conditions such as myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, neuro fibers, type 2 neurofibromatosis, or rubella.

Congenital cataracts do not always affect vision, but if they do affect your vision, they can be easily treated.

Conditions and Diseases Contributing to Cataract Formation

Some conditions or diseases increase the risk of developing cataracts. These conditions and diseases include:

1- Aging

2- Diabetes

3- Excessive exposure to sunlight

4- Smoking

5- Obesity

6- Hypertension

7- Previous injury or inflammation

8- Eye Surgery

9- Long-term use of corticosteroids

10- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

How to Prevent Cataracts?

Unfortunately, so far no research has been able to come up with a method to prevent cataracts or its progress. However, doctors believe that there are ways to prevent cataracts by:

• Regular examination by an ophthalmologist. The first benefit of regular checkups is that cataracts and other medical problems will be diagnosed before it is too late. Consult your ophthalmologist about the number of times you need to be examined.
• Quit smoking. Ask the relevant experts for help on how to quit smoking. Medications, counseling, and other smoking cessation tips are available, and you can easily choose one of them.
• Control other health problems. If you have diabetes or other medical conditions that can increase the risk of cataracts, you should start your treatment as soon as possible to reduce your risk of cataracts.
• Choose a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Adding a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet ensures you get the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Fruits and vegetables have many antioxidants that help maintain eye health. Research on the effect of antioxidants on eye health has not proven whether taking antioxidants in pill form will have the same effect. But recently, a large study of the world’s population showed that a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals is associated with a reduced risk of cataracts. Fruits and vegetables have many health benefits and are a surefire way to increase the number of minerals and vitamins in your diet.
• Use suitable sunglasses. The sun’s ultraviolet rays have an important impact on the formation of cataracts. Use sunglasses when exposed to sunlight to block harmful sun rays entering your eyes.
• Reduce alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of cataracts.

Cataract Diagnosis

After you show early signs of cataracts, you should visit a doctor to determine if you are infected with cataracts. For a doctor to diagnose cataract disease, several tests are needed. These tests include:

1- Eye test

To measure eyesight power, they use an eye chart with some letters written on it.

One of your eyes is tested while your other eye is closed or covered. Your eye’s sharpness of vision is measured out of 20, for example, a person’s vision may be 18 out of 20.

2- Slit lamp

A slit-lamp allows the ophthalmologist to observe the structures in the front of your eye under a magnifying glass.

This microscope is called a slit lamp. Because it uses a strong line of light to illuminate the cornea, iris, lens, and the space between the iris and the cornea.

This gap allows the doctor to observe these structures in small sections. This makes it easy to detect any small abnormalities.

3- Retinal examination

To prepare for a retina examination, the ophthalmologist will pour drops into your eye so that your pupil can open widely (dilated).

This makes it easier to examine the back of the eye (retina). Using a slit lamp or a special device, the ophthalmologist can check for cataract symptoms.

Cataract Treatment

The use of medical glasses cannot be a way to treat cataracts, the only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery.

Talk to your ophthalmologist about whether the surgery is right for you. Most ophthalmologists allow you to have surgery when cataracts disrupt your life or undermine your ability to do everyday tasks such as reading books or driving.

Choosing surgery as a treatment for cataracts depends on you and your doctor’s opinion. Most of the time there is no need to rush to cataract surgery, because it does not cause significant damage to the eyes. But if a person has another disease, such as diabetes, not having cataract surgery poses significant risks.

If you decide to have cataract surgery later, delayed surgery will not affect your vision improvement. Take the time to carefully study the benefits and risks of cataract surgery.

Cataract Surgery in Iran

More than 40,000 Iranian and foreign patients undergo cataract surgery every month in Iran.

Cataract surgery in Iran has the highest rank in the Middle East in terms of skilled specialists and surgeons.

Cataract surgery in Iran is much cheaper than in other countries. Low cost of surgery does not mean low quality of the service. On the contrary, the procedure is done at a high quality, with a high success rate, at a reasonable price.

Reasons for the Low Cost of Cataract Surgery in Iran

These reasons include:

1- A large number of cataract surgery clinics in Iran

2- A large number of cataract surgery applicants in Iran

The cost of cataract surgery in Iran varies depending on the type of cataract surgery and the hospital.

The average cost of cataract surgery in Iran is $1,400. In other countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom, you would have to pay more.

The surgery costs $4,780 in the United States, $2,800 in Europe, $2,700 in India, and $4000 in Turkey.