One Eye on Technology
Cataracts affect a huge number of people and eventually require surgery to remove them. An optometrist may pick up that you have a cataract whilst conducting an eye test, or you may feel you need stronger prescription glasses, as your vision is blurry or unclear. Unfortunately, over time, your vision will deteriorate even further as the cataract grows.
Scientists have long been working on ways to correct cataracts or to remove them without resorting to surgery, and advancing technology has allowed them to develop new techniques that could help those who suffer from this affliction.
Now, a newly identified compound has been created, and it’s the first that is soluble enough to be administered as an eye drop. This compound could form the basis of an eye drop that could reverse cataracts and eliminate them as the leading form of blindness. Discovered by a team of scientists from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), UC San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Michigan (U-M) this compound has been heralded as a major breakthrough in eye care.
Working Towards A Clearer Future
The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies cataracts as a priority eye disease as they cause blindness. As the cataract causes an opaque layer over the eye, vision becomes blurred and then finally obscured, and unless the cataract is removed, the prognosis is poor.
Cataracts affect more than 20 million people globally and surgery to remove them is expensive, making it prohibitive to many. Primarily a disease of ageing, cataract sufferers may already be plagued by vision problems, and being able to treat them with something as simple as eye drops will make a massive difference to quality of life too.
The discovery of a potential eye drop that can halt the progress of a cataract and reduce it completely is incredibly exciting, and optometrists and ophthalmologists the world over will be thrilled with this progress.
Drop-By-Drop Improvements
If the compound proves to be suitable for long term use and can be administered as an eye drop, cataracts sufferers will be given a massive respite. Any easy to administer medication makes treatment far simpler and optometrists may be able to prescribe the drops to patients, reducing costs and ensuring treatment starts as early as possible.
Another advantage of eye drops being used in the treatment of cataracts is that there is no need to wait for them to develop before operating. At present, sufferers have to wait until the cataract has developed significantly, thus reducing their vision dramatically. With eye drops, treatment could begin as soon as signs of a cataract are evident, and sufferers wouldn’t need to be inconvenienced or affected in any way.
Eye Treatments For All
By creating a compound that could be utilised in eye drop form the team of scientists haven’t only potentially helped people who suffer from cataracts, but also dogs and other animals. Cataracts affect more than 70 million dogs in the USA alone, and this type of medicinal breakthrough could benefit them too.
Further clinical trials will be conducted on the compound, and if all goes to plan cataract sufferers may soon have an alternative treatment option that’s simple, straightforward and far more cost effective.
If your eyes are giving you issues pop in to EyeQ and we can help you determine if you need glasses, or if alternative treatment is required