Will cataracts cause blindness? Scientific interpretation and prevention guide

Cataract is a common eye disease that troubles many middle-aged and elderly people. Do you need to treat cataracts? Will you go blind if you don't treat it? This article will answer your questions.

Cataract is an eye disease that causes the originally transparent lens in the eye to gradually become cloudy, resulting in decreased vision. Cataract patients generally go through the following stages:

Early stage: Slightly blurred vision and reduced color perception, which may be mistaken for "presbyopia".

Middle stage: Vision declines significantly, and glare occurs at night, affecting daily life.

Late stage: The lens becomes completely cloudy, light cannot penetrate, vision is reduced to light perception or even blindness.

But it should be clear that this blindness is "reversible" - through cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial lens.

Will cataracts definitely cause blindness?

Cao Xiangrong, president of Tianjin University Aier Eye Hospital, said that in areas with scarce medical resources, many patients go blind because they cannot undergo surgery. Long-term untreated conditions may lead to complications such as secondary glaucoma and lens dislocation, exacerbating visual impairment. Whether cataract patients will go blind depends on the severity of the disease. If not treated in time, there is indeed a certain risk of blindness. However, with timely surgery, even in the late stage of cataracts, as long as the optic nerve and retina function normally, they can still regain their sight after surgery.

Why do some people go blind from cataracts?

1. Cognitive misunderstanding: There are always cataract patients who mistakenly believe that "cataracts must wait until they are mature before surgery", delaying treatment, or superstitiously relying on drugs or health products and missing the treatment period.

2. Limited medical conditions: There is a lack of ophthalmic medical resources in poor areas, and patients cannot undergo surgery.

3. Impact of complications: If combined with glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other diseases, it may cause irreversible vision damage.

How to avoid blindness caused by cataracts?

1. Early detection and early treatment: Patients with diabetes and hypertension need to strictly control their blood sugar and blood pressure and have regular fundus examinations. People over 40 years old should have an eye examination once a year. If symptoms such as blurred vision, glare, and color fading occur, seek medical attention immediately.

2. Choose the right time for surgery: Traditionally, it is necessary to wait until cataracts are "mature", but with the development of medical technology, surgery can be performed when vision loss affects life. Delaying surgery may increase the difficulty and risk of surgery.

The tragedy of blindness caused by cataracts can be avoided. Through regular examinations, timely surgery and scientific eye care, patients can still have clear vision even if cataracts are diagnosed. Ignoring treatment is the real driver of vision loss. If you or your family are suffering from cataracts, please go to a regular ophthalmology hospital as soon as possible. Don't let "waiting" steal your light!