DR Agarwal's Eye Hospital

What is cataract?Cataract is one of the most common diseases of the eye that affects a sizable section of the world’s population. Although most cataracts appear in patients above 40 years of age, paediatric cataract is not a rare phenomenon either. So what exactly is cataract and how does it affect the eyes? Here’s all the information you’ll need.
Cataract - Is it because of your parents, your lifestyle or just bad karma?Cataract is a disease that affects the lens of the eye. The human lens, like the lens of a camera, focusses light on the retina (the camera film). Typically, the human lens contains soluble proteins and water that are arranged in a specific pattern to give the lens its transparent nature. It is this transparency that enables light to pass through and focus on the retina, to be picked up by the optic nerve to form an image of what you see. As we grow old, the proteins start clumping together and clouding the lens, and this is called Cataract. Besides ageing, cataract can also develop due to exposure to UV rays, injury, prolonged use of certain medications etc.
Did you know?In earlier days, cataract was considered as a wrath of the Gods and seemed to have a direct connection with one’s karma. In fact, there are quite a few African countries that still believe so and engage in age-old and unsafe practices like couching to remove cataract.
Cataract symptoms - common signs you just can’t missThe symptoms of cataract largely depend on the type of cataract that’s developing in the lens. Not all cataracts are alike. While for some people, it develops in the center of the lens others could develop it around the lens’ periphery while few others might have it at the back of their lens. Some of the most common symptoms, however, are blurry/clouded vision, sensitivity to bright light, dull appearance of colours, change in spectacle prescription, etc. In case of paediatric cataract, you’ll find that the kid does not react well to light or colourful objects. If you notice one or more of these symptoms, please visit your eye doctor and get a check-up done immediately.

What is glaucoma?Glaucoma is a condition of the human eye where the optic nerve (the one that carries signals from the eye to the brain) gets damaged due to excessive pressure inside your eye. Since the optic nerve is the primary carrier of visual stimulus to the brain, damage to it could actually result in significant loss of vision. Glaucoma generally affects both the eyes, although the pressure inside each eye could be different.
Glaucoma - The inside storyWe’ve been talking about this pressure building up inside your eyes for some time now. But why exactly would there be an increase in pressure, all of a sudden? So here’s what happens inside your eyes. The human eye can be divided into two segments – the anterior chamber that’s in front of the lens and the posterior chamber that’s behind the lens. Now, in the anterior chamber, the space between the cornea and our natural lens is filled with a fluid called aqueous humor. This fluid (which contains nutrients for the eye) is generated in the anterior chamber and is drained out of the eye through a mesh like structure. So as long as this production & drainage equation is proportionate, there’s no problem. However, the slightest of changes to production/draining equilibrium could result in increased intraocular pressure (intraocular – inside the eye chamber). And the rest, you already know – pressure leads to damage of optic nerve which in turn leads to loss of vision. Wide-angle and narrow-angle are the two types of glaucoma that you’ll generally come across and both result in increased intraocular pressure.
Did you know?Harry’s got his mother Lily’s eyes; there’s a good chance that he’ll be affected by Glaucoma just the way his mom was. Yes, Glaucoma is inheritable. Anyone with a family history of this disease should be doubly cautious.
Glaucoma - what are the symptoms of this disease?Typically, there are no early symptoms associated with Glaucoma. However, it is always safe to have your eyes checked annually to make sure they are healthy. For all you know, glaucoma might silently creep into your life without your slightest knowledge. To add up to the mess, total vision loss might just be around the corner, if glaucoma is left untreated. And this is exactly why every time you go to an ophthalmologist, he/she would check the pressure inside your eyes to make sure, you are not affected by Glaucoma. However, most Glaucoma patients visit a doctor due to one or more of the following symptoms:
Frequent changes of glasses, especially for near work, but none is satisfactory,Rainbow colored rings around lights (seeing halos),Blurred or foggy visionLoss of side vision.Redness of the eyes

What is the Retina?Retina is the innermost layer of the eye and is light sensitive in nature. When we see an object, the light rays pass through the lens in our eyes and fall on the retina. They get converted into neural signals/impulses here and the optic nerve carries these visual stimuli to the brain that translates them back as images. Now if you are a Harry Potter fan, then consider the retina as the platform 9 ¾ (the entry point to the world of magic). If something goes wrong here, then nothing reaches your center for imagination (the brain) and your vision to the beautiful world stays completely cut-off.
Retina - The story behind the scenesThe retinal layer is present in the back of the eye and almost at its center it is a pigmented portion called the Macula. It is this pigmented portion that attributes to the sharpness of vision, be it when you are reading a newspaper or driving your car. Retinal disorders could either affect the entire retina or the macula alone. Here are some common ailments affecting the retina:
Diabetic Retinopathy – this develops in patients affected by diabetesRetinal Degeneration – involves degeneration of the retina due to death of its cellsMacular Degeneration – cells of the macula deteriorate leading to blurry visionMacular hole – yes, you guessed it right; it’s a hole in the macula which could lead to distorted imagingRetinal Detachment – a condition where the retina is torn and is pulled away from the back of the eyeDid you know?The Retina covers almost 65 percent of the inner surface of the eye. That’s a sizeable portion, ain’t it?
Retinal Problems - Identifying the inner issueFloaters, eye flashes and sudden onset of blurry vision are the most common symptoms that can scream loud of a retinal problem. If it’s a child, a white pearl in the kid’s eyes could indicate a retinal complication. Especially if the child was born preterm, it becomes absolutely essential to do a retinal evaluation to rule out retinopathy of prematurity.
A retina specialist would do a thorough investigation to understand the issue. It could involve scanning of the eyes, measuring the eye pressure, and even check electrical conduction from the retina to the various parts of the brain so as to ascertain normal functioning.

Laser treatment as an option for eye power correction has been in vogue for over two decades now. The first laser vision correction was performed in Germany in the late 80’s and since then, there’ve been major advancements, that have improved the quality of the surgery in terms of safety and precision. While laser eye treatment is primarily used for correcting refractive errors, laser technology has been put to good use in cataract and retinal treatments as well.
Laser Vision Correction - Get rid of your glassesLaser vision correction is by far the best option to eliminate the dependency on glasses and contact lenses. The shape of your cornea attributes to your eye power. You could have myopia (short-sight), hypermetropia (long-sight) or astigmatism (blurry vision) depending on the point, where the light from an object you see, gets focussed inside your eyes. During a laser vision correction surgery, the shape of your cornea is altered in such a way that light entering into the eye is focused at the right spot on the retina. This is a simple procedure and takes less than half an hour from start to finish. Also, you’ll be able to resume your normal life in just a few days.
Did you know?The ideal age for a laser vision correction surgery is between 21 – 35 years. Before 21, the refractive power of our eye could still be changing and after 40 years we may develop other additional issues that affect the human lens due to aging.
Laser Vision Correction - OptionsLaser vision correction has evolved rapidly over the last twenty years. LASIK is the most popular refractive error correction surgeries and can rectify a power of -1D to -9D in myopia patients and up to +4D in hypermetropia patients. In LASIK, a motorized blade is used to create a flap of the first two layers of the cornea and a computer-controlled laser is used to reshape the inner layers. Intralase is a blade-free approach where a specialized laser is used to create this flap and then reshape. ReLEx SMILE has come in as the next advancement and is bladeless and flapless with much faster recovery.

What is a squint (strabismus)?Squint [Strabismus] is a condition in which there is a misalign­ment of the eyes. In other words, the two eyes are pointed in different directions. One eye may be looking straight ahead while the other is turned inward, outward, upward or downward. Muscles of the eye control movements of the eye. If one muscle is stronger than the other, the eye will be turned towards that direction. This is how a squint is formed. To treat this, one has to weaken the stronger muscle and strengthen the weaker muscle.
Did you know?Quite a few cultures consider Squint as a lucky charm. In Hindu mythology, there’s a description about Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) as squint-eyed. In fact, quite a few sculptures at the Hoysala temples depict details of the squint-eyed Goddess.
Squint - Beyond alignment issuesReports say that 4% of children are affected with squint. Mild cases are managed with spectacles, however, more severe cases require  surgery. Children with squint at a young age should be treated immediately to avoid a permanent decrease in vision. Usually after 5 years of age, the surgery only helps straighten the eyes but the vision lost cannot be regained. Also, a squint that’s left unattended could lead to further complications like lazy eye, blurred and double vision. Therefore it is critical to get an expert’s opinion as soon as one notices a squint.
Did you know?A new born baby could have a squint-eye or could develop one as he/she comes off a school-going age. However, there is good chance for squint to develop in older children or even adults.