[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<236> Will Cataracts Also Come to Me?

When eye diseases cause vision impairment, quality of life inevitably declines, and in severe cases, it can lead to blindness. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 2.2 billion people have vision impairments, including uncorrected refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), in 2020, 1.1 billion people worldwide had vision impairment disabilities, among whom 43 million were completely blind.

Globally, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration are known as the three leading causes of blindness. Unlike developing countries where cataract-induced blindness is most common, in South Korea, blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy (a complication of diabetes), macular degeneration, and glaucoma is more prevalent than cataract-related blindness, making cataracts a less serious cause of blindness.

The number of cataract patients in South Korea has continued to increase, from 1.26 million in 2016 to over 1.4 million in 2019 and 2020. Cataracts are common among the elderly; about 70% of people aged 60 and over, and 90% of those aged 70 and above experience cataracts, so it is easy to infer that almost anyone is likely to develop cataracts as they age. But what exactly is a cataract, and why does it occur?

Light entering our eyes from the outside passes through the lens, which acts like a camera lens, and forms an image on the retina, which corresponds to the film. The retina converts this image into signals that are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve, allowing us to see objects. Cataracts occur when there is a problem with the lens.

Protein in the lens breaks down and reforms into clumps that cloud parts of the normally transparent lens, causing cataracts. This results in symptoms where objects appear blurry, as if seen through fog. These protein clumps can form in the center, around the edges, or on the back of the lens, and as they increase, they interfere with vision. Cataracts can develop in both eyes but rarely occur simultaneously and are not contagious from one eye to the other.

In the early stages, cataracts may cause no symptoms, but as they progress, symptoms begin to appear. If your vision becomes blurry, colors appear faded, you have difficulty seeing at night, bright sunlight or headlights seem too glaring, you see halos around lights, objects appear doubled, or you need to frequently change your eyeglass prescription, it is advisable to get an eye examination.

The risk of cataracts increases with age, but it is also higher if you have health issues like diabetes, smoke, consume excessive alcohol, have a family history of cataracts, have had eye injuries, eye surgeries, radiation therapy to the upper body, spend a lot of time in strong sunlight, or take immunosuppressive steroids.

As global statistics show, cataracts are a major cause of blindness and can lead to blindness if left untreated. However, in South Korea, where medical technology is advanced, cataracts are not a disease that poses a serious risk of blindness. Cataract surgery, which involves removing the affected lens and implanting a permanent artificial lens, is one of the most common and safe surgeries and can correct vision problems caused by cataracts.

If you are diagnosed with cataracts due to vision decline, what should you do? Cataracts are not a serious condition requiring urgent treatment, and since they generally cause no pain other than vision impairment, if daily life is not significantly affected, you can wait and have surgery when the condition worsens. Although there are medications that slow progression, even with medication, the clouded lens does not return to its original transparent state, so taking medication is not necessarily required.

While cataracts are not fatal, severe cataracts can cause discomfort in daily life, so prevention is best. Efforts to reduce risk factors for cataracts can be helpful, but since it is practically impossible to remember and implement all risk factors for every disease, practicing a lifestyle that creates the best environment for your body’s top physician to work well?namely, Newsstart (refer to Life Story Part 6)?is sufficient.

Among the eight components of Newsstart, the first is a life diet that involves eating a variety of plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, and grains, in their whole form without selective eating. Along with this, it is important to reduce intake of sugar?which causes many problems when consumed excessively?processed or refined bad carbohydrates, saturated and trans fats, salt, and alcohol.

Additionally, practicing the other Newsstart components?exercise, water, sunlight, moderation, air, rest, trust, and love?is also important.

Kim Jae-ho, Independent Researcher