10
issue: eye
The HEALTH | JULY, 2018
CREDIT: ALL ABOUT VISION
Does cataract
warrant surgery?
“A
cataract is basically the
lens in the eye going
cloudy. As with a camera
lens, your lens should be perfectly
clear to be able to focus light effec-
tively,” explained Pantai Hospital
Kuala Lumpur Ophthalmologist and
Vitreoretinal surgeon Dr Manoharan
Shunmugam.
“Any tiny blemish in the lens
can cause symptoms such as glare,
ghosting of images or just blurring
or cloudiness. As the lens ages it
becomes more opaque - this is the
most common cause of cataracts.”
One-third of people over 65 have
cataracts. However, it can also occur
Deadly
eye strokes
CREDIT: ALL ABOUT VISION
Troubled vision if medical attention
not given on time
T
HE very mention of stroke
gets people to think of the
brain and the very dramatic
act of the arm jerking. How-
ever, stroke also extends to
other areas beyond the brain, and one
other place would be the eye.
Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr K.
Sivamalar revealed that eye strokes
takes place when there is a blockage or
an occlusion in the artery or the veins
of the retinal blood vessels leading to
a sudden loss of vision or gradually
increasing blurring of vision.
Usually painless, eye strokes can take
place suddenly or over short amount of
time.
Central Retinal Vein
Occlusion (CRVO)
Blockage in the main retinal vein is
called a central retinal vein occlusion
(CRVO).
“When the vein is blocked, blood
and fluid will begin to spill out into the
retina thus affecting the central vision.
Without proper blood circulation, the
nerve cells in the eye can die leading to
loss of more vision. Medical risk factors
that can lead to the CRVO taking place
would be hypertension, high cholesterol
and diabetes,” she said.
at a younger age, sometimes related
to previous injuries, certain medica-
tions or chronic illnesses such as
diabetes. Some babies are even born
with cataracts and these should be
assessed by an eye doctor as soon as
possible.
“Although your sight is likely to
be better after having the cataract
removed, you’ll probably still need
to wear glasses or contact lenses. So
if you can still see well enough with
glasses to do the things you want to
do, you may want to put off having
surgery.”
“Sometimes, people have other
eye problem that needs treating,
“This condition can be treated with
laser therapy and by injecting anti-
vascular endothelial growth factor
which kills new blood vessel formation
and the swelling will go down.”
“Anti-glaucoma medication will also
be prescribed in order to lower the
pressure. Absence of early treatment
can lead to faster loss of vision.”
Branch Retinal Vein
Occlusion (BRVO)
A tad similar to the central retinal vein
occlusion, the branch retinal vein occlu-
sion happens in one of the smaller branch
veins. Patients with BRVO would experi-
ence sudden onset of blurred vision.
Risk factors leading to BRVO are
hypertension, glaucoma, cardiovascular
disease and obesity.
Treatment to this condition is similar
to CRVO.
Treatment
“If there is any vein occlusion, doctors
will try to dislodge the clot through
paracentesis; a procedure that is done
by bringing out the fluid to ensure the
pressure goes down and the clot come
out. Other methods to dislodge the clot
include requesting the patients to inhale
and exhale carbon dioxide in a paper bag
and an ocular massage.
CREDIT: REPORTS HEALTHCARE
Vitrectomy :
Removing gel
like substance for
better vision
Recognising
symptoms of
an eye stroke
PATIENTS would experience sudden
loss of vision or short episodes
of total blankness lasting a few
seconds each. Floaters, appearing
as small grey spots around the field
of vision can be observed by the
patient as well. Fainting spells may
also occur.
Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr K.
Sivamalar stressed that patients
should visit a specialist the moment
they experience painless loss of
vision between six to 24 hours of
onset in order to avoid irreversible
blindness.
Patients with bacterial
endocarditis and other heart
diseases such as coronary heart
disease and valvular heart disease
can increase their risk of getting an
eye stroke.
Stye: bacterial
infection in
the eyelids
PANTAI Hospital Kuala Lumpur
Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr K.
Sivamalar explained that stye, usu-
ally known as hordeolum, is caused
by a bacterial infection of an oil
gland by Staphylococcus aureus that
takes place in the eyelids. Common
observations are small swellings of
the lid and it can progress in size as
it further progresses.
Risk factors that causes stye are
diabetes, autoimmune conditions
and being on steroids.
Common signs are swelling,
however there can be discharge from
the lesion and also pain. Doctors will
provide a course of oral antibiotics
in order to bring down the level of
puss which will then erupt on its
own. Topical antibiotics may also
be provided. Stye conditions tend
to resolve in time however, there are
instances where an incision will have
to be performed.