Cataract and glaucoma are the most dangerous eye diseases one can get after the age of 40. If not treated immediately or detected in its early stages, these diseases could cause loss of eyesight. “Cataract is the white liquid clouding the eye lens. Normally, the eye lens is as clear as crystal but when the patient contracts cataract the eye becomes clouded and vision becomes hazy at first. The disease is contracted for 40-year-olds and above. Cataract can be contracted by children from birth” said By Dr. Hazem Al-Hamzawi, Eye Surgery Consultant and the Medical Manager of Maghrabi Hospital in Jeddah. He added that there several causes for cataract but regardless of the cause the only way to treat the disease is through surgery. “Cataract can be a symptom of other diseases or a result of an injury. Cataract can be a symptom for any disease which increases some of the body's biochemical compounds or has to do with the parathyroid gland,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He stressed that treatment in the early stages is paramount for cataract because the longer the patient waits the riskier the treatment becomes. “In the early stages of the disease, the patient will have a hazy vision. However, if not treated by conventional surgery the patient will lose sight completely,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He explained that the eye surgery is the excision of a thin layer of the lens to extract the white liquid. After the excision, the surgeons must install another lens layer in place of the layer they removed. “The new lens we implant is an artificial one but it is different than eyesight lens commonly worn. The operation is very safe and the patient can get it done in a day. The operation has a high success rate and can even improve the patient's eyesight from what it originally was” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He added that the surgery can implant lens specialized in treating astigmatism and other eyesight defects. Dr. Al-Hamzawi also mentioned glaucoma as a more dangerous disease than cataract. “Glaucoma is the result of optic nerve damage due to high eye pressure (ocular hypertension). Glaucoma may cause permanent blindness if not treated at its early stages. The disease does not have any apparent symptoms. Therefore, the one must regularly do eye checkups after the age of 40 years,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He added there are three types of glaucoma: one is contracted by children and the other two are contracted by adults. The glaucoma children contract happens to them from birth but the glaucoma types adult contract are either open-angle glaucoma or angle-closure glaucoma. “The open-angle glaucoma the patient only sees its symptoms in a very developed stage. The patient would gradually lose sight of his peripheral vision and would not be able to see at night. The patient should never reach the stage of glaucoma. Early treatment is important,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He also said the disease can only be contracted if the patient was above 40 years old. The treatment process are eye drops taken regularly to ease the pressure in the eye. “The patient must follow the eye drops prescription regularly in order for the him to heal. It can be seen as diabetes for the eye. If the eye drops were effective that the patient would adapt this treatment for the rest of his life. It they weren't effective, we are then obliged to conduct a surgery,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He explained that the surgery is excising a drainage hole in the eye to drain out accumulated liquid. Eyes naturally renew their liquids to enable oxygen and nourishments into the eye. When the liquids accumulate, they create pressure. Therefore, draining the liquids renews them in the eye and decreases eye pressure. Dr. Al-Hamzawi explained the second type of adult glaucoma which is angle-closure glaucoma. “The symptoms in this type of glaucoma are obvious. The eye reddens and sores and the vision hazes when the patient has contracted that type of glaucoma. Angle-closure glaucoma can only be treated through surgery. If not treated at an early stage, the patient can become permanently blind,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi. He added that patients of either types of glaucoma undergo conventional surgery in one eye and a laser surgery in the other to prevent it from contracting the disease. “The surgery can be conducted manually by incision surgery tools but there is the alternative of the laser. Maghrabi Hospitals offer both services to ensure the comfort of the patients,” said Dr. Al-Hamzawi.
