Hello everyone This is Dr Audrey Tai, I'm a board-certified and fellowship trained
Cataract and refractive surgeon, ophthalmologist and cornea specialist, welcome back to my
channel - eye Channel by eye surgeon. In today's video,
I would like to talk to you about how to prevent cataracts. I will give you 5 tips that we can
do to prevent developing cataracts early, and slow down progression of cataracts as we age.
Most of the time, when we think about cataracts, we think it is a disease that exclusively affects
elderly people, but that's not always the case. Typically cataracts start developing around age
40, by age 80, more than 70% of people develop visually significant cataracts.
By 2050, the number of people in the US with cataracts is expected to Double from 24.4 million
to about 50 million.it is true that the most common form of cataracts
is age-related, but this is not to say that people younger than 40 do not develop cataracts.
as a cataract surgeon. I have removed cataracts in people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and older.
Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with cataracts?
let me know in the comments below. To learn more about cataract surgery,
you can check out my video about conventional versus laser assisted cataract surgery.
There are different forms of cataracts that can affect people of different ages,
and those different forms of cataracts typically have different causes.
I will cover this Topic in a more in- depth video in the future. So stay tuned, and subscribe to my
channel so you won't miss any new videos I make about eye health and eye surgery.
A study of 2054 twins in the UK published in 2016 in the journal Ophthalmology,
reported that 35% of cataract progression is affected by genetics,
and individual environmental factors account for 65% of the impact. We can’t change our genetics,
but what are the things that we can do to prevent and slow down cataract growth?
let's go over my 5 tips for cataract prevention that you can incorporate into your daily life.
Tip number one: wear sunglasses, to protect your eyes from excessive UV exposure.
Cataracts form when the natural lens inside of our eyes loses its transparency;
instead of transmitting light rays to the layer of nerve tissue at the back of our eyes - the retina,
to form clear images, it becomes cloudy and causes blurry vision and glares from bright Lights,
especially at night. The clouding of our natural lens is due to a process
called oxidative stress.The natural lens is made mostly of water and proteins.
The uv-light rays can damage the lens proteins through a process called glycation,
triggering harmful oxidative reactions in the lens and causing the lens proteins to become cloudy.
Among the two different types of UV light rays: UVA and UVB,
UVA penetrates more deeply into the body and may be more likely to reach the lens. Studies have
found that even in the absence of oxygen, UVA light can cause protein glycation in the lens.
However research has shown that the natural antioxidant in the eyes called glutathione,
offers very little protection against the damaging effect of uv-light rays.
Several clinical studies have tested the potential of antioxidant glutathione supplements to prevent
or slow down the development of age-related cataracts, but the results were mixed. So
it is important to wear sunglasses with good UV protection when you're outdoors for a long period
of time, to block the harmful UV light rays from reaching the natural lens in our eyes.
I Have listed an example of sunglasses that provide one hundred percent UV protection
in the description below that you can check out. .
Tip number two: Stop smoking as I mentioned earlier, the process of cataract
formation is through damage to the proteins in the natural lens through oxidative stress,
Smoking tobacco is well-known to increase oxidative damage in our body
by promoting oxidation and increasing free radical activity throughout our body.
Smoking can also indirectly increase oxidative stress by depleting antioxidants in our body.
additionally, the heavy metals contained in the tobacco by-products, such as cadmium,
lead and copper can accumulate in the natural lens and cause toxicity. So in addition to
damaging our lungs and blood vessels, smoking also increases the risk of early development of
cataracts. Studies have shown that smoking-related damage to the lens may be reversible after smoking
cessation, but the reversal effect of stopping smoking can take decades and the damage to the
lens may only be partially reversible. So it is a good idea to stop smoking as early as possible.
Tip number three: eat a healthy diet that is high in antioxidants
since cataract formation is due to oxidative stress,
you should have a diet that's high in natural antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables,
especially dark leafy greens to help maintain our body's natural ability to combat oxidative stress,
which accumulates naturally through aging. There have been many studies trying to
investigate the effect of dietary supplements on cataract prevention, such as vitamin C,
vitamin E, vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Some of the retrospective studies found a protective
effect of both dietary intake and supplementation of those vitamins, however supplement trials have
largely failed to find any protective effect of dietary supplements on cataract prevention.
Also some Studies have suggested supplementing glutathione may help prevent or even reverse
cataracts. however The effectiveness of oral supplementation of glutathione
is very controversial, due to the Low absorption of glutathione oral supplements,
which is due to an intestinal enzyme GGT (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase). I would
recommend eating a healthy balanced diet that contains a good amount of dark leafy green,
such as spinach and broccoli, fruits like citrus, berries, and avocados, that are high
in antioxidants rather than relying on oral supplements that are sold over the counter.
Tip number four: control your blood sugar. This is especially important for people with diabetes.
People with diabetes form cataracts through a process called osmotic stress. it is often
responsible for Rapid cataract formation in people with uncontrolled blood sugar and diabetes.
osmotic stress is caused by Accumulation of the type of sugar called sorbitol in the natural lens,
which damages the lens cells and fibers. Additionally increased sugar level in the
fluid in your eyes called aqueous humor, can also increase Glycation of the lens protein
and increase the oxidative stress in our eyes, causing early cataract formation.Studies
have shown a 3 to 4 fold increase in the prevalence of cataracts In people with diabetes
under the age of 65. the risk is increased in people with longer duration of diabetes
and in those with poor blood sugar control. Besides early cataract formation, diabetes and
uncontrolled blood sugar can also cause damage to other parts of our eyes,
such as the retina; this is called diabetic retinopathy. Therefore it is important to have
good blood sugar control if you have diabetes or modify your lifestyle to prevent diabetes.
tip number 5 avoid long term use of steroids Long term corticosteroid exposure can come
from many different sources, such as eye drops, oral tablets, inhalers,
topical creams, injections, and etc. Long term steroid use can cause a specific type of cataract
called posterior subcapsular cataract or PSC. PSC cataracts typically have dense
plaques formed on the back of the thin capsular membrane that wraps around the natural lens.
PSC cataracts can often cause significant vision loss over a relatively short period of time.
Corticosteroids are often prescribed to treat certain types of arthritis, dermatitis or
respiratory disease. It is important to remember that if you are prescribed corticosteroids long
term, you should discuss with your doctor about the potential side effects of long-term steroid
usage, and have regular eye exams with your eye doctor to monitor for early cataract formation.
Besides the five tips that I mentioned in this video, there are a few other causes of early
cataract formation, such as Trauma to the eye, eye surgeries for glaucoma and retinal disease.
If you have noticed any changes in your vision or increased light sensitivity,
it is important to see an eye doctor to find the cause of your vision change.
and if you are on long-term corticosteroid treatment or have diabetes,
it is important to have regular eye exams to monitor the health of your eyes.
When was the last time you had a full eye exam? let me know in the comments below.
I hope you find this video helpful in learning more about cataract prevention
and cataracts in general. If you do find this video helpful please consider liking and sharing
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Thank you again for watching and I look forward to seeing you in my next video