Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
Causes of cataracts
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Cataracts
1763 Words4 Pages
Cataracts
What is a cataract? A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally
transparent lens of the eye. Its effect on vision depends on the extent of the cloudiness.
Small spots in the lens may cause little or no vision loss. As the opacity thickens, it
prevents light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina, the light
sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Early lens changes or opacities may not disturb
vision. But as the lens continues to change, several specific symptoms including blurred
vision; sensitivity to light and glare; increased nearsightedness; or distorted images in
either eye, may develop. Cataracts are usually associated with aging. As a person grows
older, the lens becomes less flexible and loses some of its ability to focus light onto the
retina. As the lens becomes harder, it tends to develop cataracts. Cataracts can eventually
become milky white and fill the lens. The patient is then considered blind. Doctors do not
know how to prevent or cure most types of cataracts. But surgery to remove the diseased
lens can improve vision for most cataract patients. After such surgery, some patients.
After such surgery, some patients must wear strong glasses or contact lenses to see well
enough to carry on normal activities. In most cases, however, surgeons replace the
diseased lens with a plastic intraocular lens. A patient who receives an intraocular lens
may or may not need glasses or contact lenses to see well.
Physiology Of A Normal System
The eye normally consist of a lens that is located behind the iris, the colored
portion of the eye, and the pupil, the dark center of the eye. Tiny ligaments, called
zonules, support the lens capsule wi...
... middle of paper ...
...hopefully will help other elderly people
understand the signs and symptoms to look for cataracts and ways that cataracts can be
prevented. About half of Americans between ages 65 and 74, 70% of those older than age
75, have cataracts (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, 1995, 3).
Bibliography:
American Academy of Ophthalmolgy. (1996-1997). Eyenet. Eye Conditions &
Diseases. 1-11, http://www.eyenet.org/public/faqs/cataract/cat_prevention.html.
Larson, D. E. (1996). Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 2nd Ed. 238-239, 266,
553-556.
Long B., Phipps W., Cassmeyer V. (1993). Medical Surgical Nursing, 3rd Ed.
1313.
Mayo Clinic Health Letter. (Oct. 1995). Vision and Your Eyes. 1-8.
Miller, M. (July 1996). Your Aging Eyes. Better Homes and Gardens. 46, 48,
50-51.
Wilson, K. (March 1996). Weight and See. Prevention. 26, 28, 30.
Related
Why does Insurance Companies Do not Cover Vision Therapy
1792 Words | 4 PagesOptometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
Understanding Glaucoma
1215 Words | 3 Pages...eye fluid to leave the eye. The new channel helps to lower the eye pressure. Surgery will be recommended only if your ophthalmologist feels the benefit of a lower eye pressure achieved with an operation outweighs possible complications and/or further progression of optic nerve damage.
Myopia Argumentative Essay
918 Words | 2 PagesAs humans age, they frequently develop a condition known as presbyopia. This condition decreases the person's ability to focus sharply on those object which are nearby and is the result of the lens of the eye hardening. In addition, astigmatism requires a person wear prescription eyeglasses and/or contact lenses. Astigmatism arises when the curvature of the eye is irregular. The eye is normally shaped liked a soccer ball or basketball. With astigmatism, it takes on a more oval shape and resembles a football. Due to the irregular curvature, the eye processes light differently and leads to blurred vision. The degree of blurriness is determined by the degree of
Ways Of Seeing: The Human Eye: The Human Eye
757 Words | 2 PagesMost of the eye is filled with a clear gel called the vitreous. Light projects through the pupil and the lens to the back of the eye. The inside lining of the eye is covered by special light-sensing cells that are collectively called the retina. The retina converts light into electrical impulses. Behind the eye, the optic nerve carries these impulses to the brain. The macula is a small extra-sensitive area within the retina that gives central vision. It is located in the center of the retina and contains the fovea, a small depression or pit at the center of the macula that gives the clearest vision. The blind spot is at the exit point of the optic nerve, at this point there are no rods or cones, and so all the light directed here are of no use. Eye color is created by the amount and type of pigment in the iris. Multiple genes inherited from each parent determine a person’s eye color. Though the eye is such a wonderful organ, it is also prone to diseases, infections, and other problems that could be minor or major, and could lead to blindness or poor
Trilobites
852 Words | 2 Pagesthe eyes had densely packed lenses and may have served merely as a light sensitive
Mathematics of Human Vision and Corrective Lenses
1683 Words | 4 PagesThe crystalline lens is a fibrous, jelly-like material that serves to fine tune the vision process by adjusting its shape and therefore the focal length of the system.
Amblyopia
1809 Words | 4 PagesAmblyopia is a condition in which visual acuity in one eye is greatly reduced. It is caused by lack of stimulation or disuse during visual development (Rose, 1998). Because the eye is not fully developed at birth (Jarvis, 1992, as cited in Rose, 1998), infants need stimulation to complete the visual neural pathway. When one or both eyes are inhibited, for example due to misalignment of one eye (strabismus) or a large difference in refractive power between two eyes (anisometropia), the neural pathway for the inhibited eye develops abnormally, or does not develop at all. At approximately six years of age eye development is complete (Stager, 1990, as cited in Rose, 1998). Before visual development is complete amblyopia can be treated. If it is caught and treated at an early age, normal vision can be preserved (Rose, 1998).
Structure of the eye and ear
952 Words | 2 Pagesthe cornea and the sclera. The cornea is what covers the iris, and is the
How Cataracts Affecting People's Vision
766 Words | 2 Pages“The word cataract comes from the Greek word cataractos, which means rapidly running water. When water is turbulent, it is transformed from a clear medium to white and cloudy.” Although the Greeks named cataracts they weren’t sure what caused the clouding they observed but thanks to modern science we are one step closer to understanding. Cataracts are a condition where the lens of the eye, which in healthy people is clear, becomes cloudy due to changes in the proteins that make up the lens of the eye. . The lens of the eye is partly responsible for focusing light onto the retina, the part of the eyes that detects light. However when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy the light is refracted and because the light cannot be focused on the retina,
Lasik Eye Surgery Essay
1189 Words | 3 Pages...lare, shadows, and seeing halos around lights. Anisometripia is difference in refractive power between the eyes and aniseiknoia is the difference in image size between the two eyes. Although, these are all very rare and unusual. Fifth, dry eye symptoms can get worse. After the surgery, people can experience dry eye symptoms and can develop even worse dry-eye symptoms. This includes burning, redness, and decreased vision after the surgery. Usually, this condition is permanent and can require medications to improve tear production or punctual plugs, which can close off the drainage system for tears. Lastly, you can lose vision all together. It’s very rare that LASIK might result in worse vision that can’t be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. The result could happen from flap complications, equipment malfunction, infection, or extreme changes in corneal shape.
Eye Evolution Essay
2260 Words | 5 PagesAn inspection of the modern animal phyla will reveal that eyes are just as diverse as they are complex. Some organisms like the rag worm have pigmented cup eyes while other like he box jellyfish have two lens eyes and two pairs of pigment pit eyes. To account for the diversity in eye structure, we must first examine the eye ‘prototype’, the original structure that was acted upon by evolution. The simplest organ that can be considered an eye is composed of a single photoreceptor cell and a single pigment cell, without any lens or other refractive body (Arendt, 2003). Such organs are know as eyespots, and...
Macular Degeneration
1727 Words | 4 PagesMacular degeneration in general can affect many people in minor or drastic ways. People who experience this form often complain of vision loss when they are in dim light, especially when they are reading. The "dry" type is often characterized by a more gradual loss of vision compared to the "wet" type. Signs of this disease include an increase in drusen, which is an accumulation of a yellow-white substance, in the underside of the macular retina. A loss of cells can be seen in the macula. The macula is our sensitive sight region, where intricate detail can be seen. Thus, vision in this area is helpful and necessary to drive, read, focus on small details, and recognize familiar faces. The macula is located in the back of the eye known as the retina. The macula is only about 5 mm in diameter, and includes the fovea, which gives us our detailed central vision. If a person suffers from the "dry" form in one eye they will be more likely to develop it in the other eye as well.
The Human Eye
2031 Words | 5 PagesThis protects the eye from becoming dry.The Cornea, a part of the sclera, is the transparent window of the eye through which light passes. The focusing of the light begins in the cornea.Behind the Cornea is a watery fluid called the aqueous humor. This fluid fills a curved, crescent shaped space, thick in the center and thinner toward the edges. The cornea and the aqueous humor together make an outer lens that refracts, or bends, light and dire...
Relationship Between Color and Sight
1410 Words | 3 PagesColor is perceived by the human eye and brain together by translating light into color. Light receptors within the eye transmit messages to the brain, which produces the familiar sensations of color. The retinas in the eyes have receptors for color called cones, iris color is actually the result of the amount or density of pigment cells in the iris. Pigment cells, called melanocytes, produce the pigment known as melanin. The amount and density of the melanin determines what colors of light are absorbed and what is reflected. In retrospect, the higher the concentration of melanin in the iris, the darker the iris color.
More about Cataracts
Why does Insurance Companies Do not Cover Vision Therapy
1792 Words | 4 PagesUnderstanding Glaucoma
1215 Words | 3 PagesMyopia Argumentative Essay
918 Words | 2 PagesWays Of Seeing: The Human Eye: The Human Eye
757 Words | 2 PagesTrilobites
852 Words | 2 PagesMathematics of Human Vision and Corrective Lenses
1683 Words | 4 PagesAmblyopia
1809 Words | 4 PagesGlaucoma
999 Words | 2 PagesStructure of the eye and ear
952 Words | 2 PagesHow Cataracts Affecting People's Vision
766 Words | 2 PagesLasik Eye Surgery Essay
1189 Words | 3 PagesEye Evolution Essay
2260 Words | 5 PagesMacular Degeneration
1727 Words | 4 PagesThe Human Eye
2031 Words | 5 PagesRelationship Between Color and Sight
1410 Words | 3 Pages