Cataract is an ophthalmological disease that develops due to clouding of the eye lens. The disease is manifested by decreased vision: the image of surrounding objects becomes unclear and blurry. Without proper treatment, a patient with cataracts can lose their vision completely.
The most effective method is surgery. However, in the initial stages of this disease, serious results in treatment can be achieved with the help of conservative therapy.
What medications are prescribed for cataracts?
To slow down the process of clouding of the lens, ophthalmologists prescribe medications - eye drops with various active ingredients. Oral medications may be taken.
List of drugs that are most often used in modern medicine to treat cataracts:
- "Vicein." A combined product that contains cysteine, glutamic and nicotinic acids, sodium salt, calcium chloride and other substances. Doctors usually prescribe two drops of solution daily. Treatment must be continued for a long time: usually at least a year;
- "Quinax." This solution has an antioxidant effect. It protects the eyes from the negative effects of free radicals and activates proteolytic enzymes. The latter dissolve opaque protein compounds in the lens and thereby restore transparency;
- "Taufon". Drops with the active ingredient taurine. Activate the regeneration and repair of eye tissue, have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes. Thanks to the effects of taurine, cell membranes are stabilized and the electrolyte composition of the cell cytoplasm is restored. The drug is used for degeneration of eye tissue, including cataracts;
- "Oftan Katahrom". The main active ingredient is cytochrome C. The drug also contains adenosine and nicotinamide. These substances have an antioxidant effect, stimulate metabolic reactions in the cells of the lens and improve its trophism. At the same time, the solution inhibits clouding in the transparent structures of the organs of vision, restores cells that have already become cloudy, and improves blood circulation. "Oftan Katahrom" relieves inflammation and improves the condition;
- "Vita-Iodurol". Drops used to prevent the accumulation of protein deposits in the lens. Improves nutrition and metabolic processes in it.
Patients with cataracts are also prescribed solutions containing riboflavin, insulin, calcium, magnesium and other substances that normalize the condition of the lens. An aqueous solution of zinc restores epithelial cells.
Among oral medications, Lutein-complex is considered the most effective. It contains blueberry extract, lutein and taurine. The drug has a strong antioxidant effect. It improves microcirculation in the eye tissues and thereby slows down age-related changes.
The drugs “Vitalux Plus” and “Okuwait Lutein” have a similar effect. They are prescribed orally when it is necessary to slow down the process of clouding of the lens.
About the reasons
First of all, cataracts can be either congenital or acquired. We will not consider congenital cataracts, since we are usually talking about stable, non-progressive conditions. But acquired cataracts can be either age-related or senile, or caused by other reasons.
One of the most common is penetrating injury to the eye, the occurrence of a high degree of myopia, uveitis, radiation and toxic damage, and especially various chronic diseases, and above all diabetes. Severe diabetes mellitus causes not only clouding of the lens, but also diabetic damage to the retina, the so-called retinopathy, and damage to small vessels, the so-called diabetic angiopathy. Such combined conditions are very difficult to treat at present.
Cataracts can form over a short or long period of time. A formed cataract is called mature. An important role in this is played by the rate of aging of the body, the presence of ultraviolet radiation, as well as ionizing radiation, inflammatory processes in the membranes of the eye, the presence of metabolic disorders and other factors.
Toxic cataracts can occur at any age. First of all, ergot alkaloids, naphthalene, trinitrotoluene, and aniline dyes cause clouding of the lens. Medicines can also provoke cataracts: large doses of glucocorticosteroid hormones, haloperidol, or thioridazine, also known as Sonapax. The last two drugs are antipsychotics: Haloperidol is a powerful antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, and Sonapax is a mild, outpatient antipsychotic. Some sulfonamide antibiotics, allopurinol, which is prescribed to individuals with high levels of uric acid in the blood plasma, or hyperuricemia, can provoke cataracts. Cataracts are provoked by the so-called “basic” antirheumatic drugs containing gold salts: Crizanol, Sanacrisin. In addition, the nature of nutrition, systemic pathology, and the presence of viral and bacterial infections play an important role.
The process of cataract occurrence is accompanied by a change in the biochemical composition of the lens: first, the amount of water increases, and then alkali metal and calcium ions, enzyme activity decreases and oxygen consumption by its tissue decreases. Lipid peroxidation and cell apoptosis are activated. After this, the clouding spreads to the entire lens, the epithelium degenerates, its fibers disintegrate, and phacomalacia occurs, or liquefaction of the lens. This is typical for the “final”: overripe cataract.
Hardware treatment of cataracts using Sidorenko glasses
Therapy is also possible with the help of special medical devices and devices, without surgical intervention. The use of modern equipment improves the functional state of the visual organs. For cataracts, Sidorenko glasses are widely used. Their therapeutic effect is due to the use of vacuum massage.
Sidorenko glasses are a modern development in the field of ophthalmology. Outwardly, they resemble swimming goggles. However, instead of the usual glass, the device has small pressure chambers. They affect the organs of vision with low-intensity vacuum pressure. The impact frequency is about 3.5 Hz, the range is from 0.05 to 0.1 atm.
With regular use of Sidorenko glasses, metabolic processes are activated, blood circulation is improved and venous congestion is reduced. At the same time, the production of nucleoproteins and proteins is stimulated. All this has a beneficial effect on the activation of enzymes and improves glucose utilization. The result is that the eye tissues are saturated with oxygen. Sidorenko glasses are prescribed to patients at the initial stage of cataracts. Their use slows down the development of dystrophic processes.
It is worth noting that treatment using Sidorenko glasses should be carried out with caution in patients suffering from hypotension, diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis. It is not recommended to use this device for malignant neoplasms, retinal detachment and severe mental disorders. Contraindications to the use of Sidorenko glasses are also pregnancy and neurotic conditions.
Prevention
There are no specific methods to completely prevent the development of the disease. The process can be slowed down by applying the following rules:
- annual visit to an ophthalmologist with laboratory tests and diagnostic tests;
- timely treatment of ophthalmological diseases;
- timely treatment of systemic diseases, since many of them can cause eye complications;
- reduced consumption of foods containing large amounts of protein;
- use of multivitamins in courses, especially those that have a beneficial effect on vision function.
Cataracts are a progressive disease that reduces visual acuity. The disease develops gradually, so the patient has time to notice the first symptoms.
Pankov glasses for the treatment of cataracts
This is an effective device for treating the initial stages. The glasses regenerate light pulses using LED emitters. They affect the eye muscles, causing them to contract rhythmically. As a result, the pupil reflexively contracts and expands under the influence of light waves. This promotes the outflow of intraocular moisture, improves lymphatic drainage and activates blood circulation. The lens receives the necessary nutrition. To achieve the maximum therapeutic effect, it is recommended to simultaneously use Pankov glasses and eye drops, which contain vitamins and minerals.
Achieving a therapeutic effect is possible only with long-term use of this device. Sessions must be conducted regularly. The interval between them should be no more than three days. When using the device for the first time, the session lasts no more than three minutes. Then the duration can be gradually increased. The maximum duration of one session is 15 minutes. The course of treatment usually consists of fifteen sessions. Therapy can be repeated at intervals of one month.
Complications
If treatment is not started in a timely manner, the initial form of cataract can provoke the development of the following complications:
- increased intraocular pressure;
- secondary, phacolytic glaucoma;
- phacogenic iridocyclitis;
- fibrous changes in the lens;
- loss of vision.
Surgery can also lead to some complications:
- excessive tearing;
- redness of the eye;
- corneal edema;
- retinal detachment;
- inflammation of the tissues of the eyeball.
You can avoid such unpleasant consequences if you know how to stop the pathological process, start treatment on time and follow all the doctor’s recommendations.
What are the features of cataract treatment?
The use of all of the above means gives visible results. However, it must be remembered that it is impossible to completely cure cataracts. The process of lens clouding is irreversible.
All therapeutic methods (hardware and drugs) slow down the development of the disease, but do not eliminate it completely. Surgery is required. In modern ophthalmology, there are several operating techniques. All of them are based on removing the clouded lens and replacing it with an artificial one. This allows you to completely restore your vision.
Have you seen worse? Does the image seem blurry, and sometimes you see double? These are all symptoms of cataracts. With this disease, the patient's vision sharply decreases (especially in the dark and twilight), and color perception is impaired. If you notice all or some of the symptoms listed above, consult an ophthalmologist. Often, timely diagnosis and competent treatment can slow down the development of pathology. In the early stages of cataracts, you can get rid of unpleasant symptoms without surgery.
At the Vision Restoration Center you can undergo examination using modern diagnostic equipment. Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor will give a detailed consultation and prescribe an individual cataract treatment plan at the optimal cost. We work seven days a week from 8:00 to 20:00. Specialists will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s eye health, identify the cause of the pathology and prescribe effective therapy.
Don’t put off cataract treatment until tomorrow - sign up for the Vision Restoration Center right now! Remember: the sooner you contact a specialist, the higher the chances of recovery. Call us at +7 (499) 517-99-00.
Is it possible to be treated with folk remedies and get rid of eye disease?
They can only be used in parallel with drug therapy; if taken separately, they can only trigger the disease. Among the effective recipes are the following:
- Walnuts. You need to chop 15 kernels of these nuts, chop them and pour 1 liter of vegetable oil. This remedy should be infused for a week, and then taken 2 drops daily. It will also be helpful to learn more about how conservative treatment is performed.
- Honey _ You need to combine this sweet natural product with distilled water in a ratio of 1 to 3. After thoroughly mixing the honey product, it can be instilled directly into the eyes. For six months, one drop of the product is instilled into the affected eye.
- Aloe . Break off one of its five-year-old leaves (or a more mature shoot) from a living flower, drops squeezed out from it are dropped into the eyes daily, and they are stored in a glass bottle in the refrigerator. Dosage of the product – 2 drops per day. The duration of treatment is unlimited, as it will last until complete recovery.
- Celandine . You need to take 2 tbsp. l. boiling water and add the same amount of dry celandine leaves to it, stir. Moisten the discs in this solution and apply them to the eyelids, then leave them there for half an hour. This procedure is carried out daily before bed until improvement is felt.
All of the above methods and medications for the treatment of cataracts will be useless in advanced stages of the disease. They should be used as soon as vision becomes diffuse and foggy, but only after consultation with an ophthalmologist.
It is also worth learning about how rehabilitation goes after surgery.
