According to a study by Donatella Pascolini and Silvio Paolo from 2000 to 2016, there are 285 million people who are visually impaired, while 82% of people above the age of 50 are visually impaired. The major causes of visual impairment are uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts which are the leading cause of blindness. Cataract is a disease where the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy or opaque. Through a normal eye, light enters through the lens to the retina. The lens must be clear for the retina to acquire a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy the retina will receive a blurry image resulting in distorted vision. Cataracts are degenerative to the eye as you increase in age. Many people live not knowing they have it unless checked
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In the human eye, the lens is mostly made up water and proteins. The proteins are arranged in a specific way that keeps the lens clear allowing light to focus onto the retina for a sharp image. However as we age some of the proteins will lump together which blurs the lens becoming denser as we age(Kenz 2010). Elena M Jimenez MD says,” When we look at something, light rays travel into our eye through the pupil and are focused through the lens onto the retina, a layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye (retina). The lens must be clear in order to focus light properly onto the retina. If the lens has become cloudy, this is called a cataract”. This is what happens in age-related cataracts but there is also Ocular and systemic diseases. Uveitis which is the inflammation of the uvea which can accelerate protein clumping, genetic illnesses like myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, and down syndrome also can cause cataracts. Trauma to the eye from a blunt or penetrating object can cause cataracts but the cataracts density will not increase because of the cause being from an exterior object. When looking at all of these instances they all cause similar changes to the protein of the …show more content…
Such as Deterioration of vision, that can’t be fully fixed through glasses, loss of contrast sensitivity where shadows and colors become duller, and double vision. These are mostly symptoms of severe cases, but what about in minor cases? Through a comprehensive eye exam which is composed of 1. Visual acuity test measures your ability to read from various distances. 2. Dilated eye exam where drops are placed in your eye to dilate your pupil so a professional can examine the retina for signs of damage or other eye problems. 3. Tonometry which measures the pressure in your eye. Through these tests, early signs of cataracts can be detected and further steps can be
In the human eye, the lens is mostly made up water and proteins. The proteins are arranged in a specific way that keeps the lens clear allowing light to focus onto the retina for a sharp image. However as we age some of the proteins will lump together which blurs the lens becoming denser as we age(Kenz 2010). Elena M Jimenez MD says,” When we look at something, light rays travel into our eye through the pupil and are focused through the lens onto the retina, a layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye (retina). The lens must be clear in order to focus light properly onto the retina. If the lens has become cloudy, this is called a cataract”. This is what happens in age-related cataracts but there is also Ocular and systemic diseases. Uveitis which is the inflammation of the uvea which can accelerate protein clumping, genetic illnesses like myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, and down syndrome also can cause cataracts. Trauma to the eye from a blunt or penetrating object can cause cataracts but the cataracts density will not increase because of the cause being from an exterior object. When looking at all of these instances they all cause similar changes to the protein of the …show more content…
Such as Deterioration of vision, that can’t be fully fixed through glasses, loss of contrast sensitivity where shadows and colors become duller, and double vision. These are mostly symptoms of severe cases, but what about in minor cases? Through a comprehensive eye exam which is composed of 1. Visual acuity test measures your ability to read from various distances. 2. Dilated eye exam where drops are placed in your eye to dilate your pupil so a professional can examine the retina for signs of damage or other eye problems. 3. Tonometry which measures the pressure in your eye. Through these tests, early signs of cataracts can be detected and further steps can be