Cataract Screening 
1. What Is Cataract?
Cataract is a condition of protein aggregation, creating cloudy areas in the lens, scattering the light going through it, obstructing the light from reaching the retina causing impaired vision. If not treated promptly, it may result in blindness. In addition, a mature cataract may cause glaucoma, redness, eye pain, and headaches. The patients then not only become permanently blind but also have to remove their eyeballs.
 
Despite being the leading cause of blindness in the world, cataracts are completely treatable with cataract surgeries. Therefore, it is most important to perform an examination to early detect it and grasp the golden time for its treatment in order to completely remove it and restore your vision.
 
 
2. Who Should Carry Out Cataract Screening?
- The elderly: Aging is the leading cause of cataracts. According to statistics, more than 80% of patients with cataracts are at least 60 years old
- Those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, uveitis, retinal damage, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
- Those with regular exposure to sunlight and high-intensity artificial light such as spotlights, film lights, high-pressure lamps.
- People with regular administration of corticosteroids drugs, regularly drinking alcohol, and smoking
- Those with regular exposure to ionizing radiation (used for X-rays, radiation therapy for cancer patients).
- Those with eye trauma.
 
Those with high risk of cataracts are recommended to have routine screening every 6 months for early detection and receive treatment counseling.
 

3. What Are Included In The Cataract Screening Test Package?

The Cataract Screening Package at our Japan International Eye Hospital provides examinations and general tests to evaluate your eye conditions, risk and level of cataracts, then propose timely treatment solutions accordingly. The package includes the following steps:

Step 1: Automatic refractive measurement: evaluate your vision objectively

Step 2: Eye pressure measurement: support evaluation, early diagnosis of glaucoma (if any)

Step 3: Visual acuity check by vision chart: evaluate your vision subjectively, thereby determine the degree of your vision impairment (if any) caused by cataracts.

Step 4: Slit-Lamp Examination: the doctor observes the image of your lens on the microscope to evaluate the degree of cataracts and cloudiness.

In some cases where your lens is cloudy on it edge, your doctor will prescribe pupil dilation drop for a closer examination. After its application, your near vision may be affected, and it may be blurred for around 4-6 hours after that.

Step 5: Consultation and treatment recommendation: Based on your vision parameters and lens images, our doctor will evaluate your cataract condition and progression, its impact on your vision, and then recommend the best treatments.

In case your cataract is in its early stage, you can improve your vision by wearing framed glasses or magnifying glasses, and also maintain periodic eye exams at a specialized facility to monitor its progression. The cloudy lens cannot be cured completely, but may have its progression slowed down with support of medication. In more severe stages, the radical treatment is to perform an artificial lens replacement surgery.

After the cataract screening, if a lens replacement surgery is recommended, you will need to continue a pre-operative examination that will help your doctor define parameters of an artificial lens that fitting you the best.

The cataract screening before surgery does not take too much time but plays an important role in its early detection, so timely treatment can be considered, and helps to avoid serious vision impairment that can impact the patient’s daily life. The examination process also helps patients answer the question “Should I take a cataract surgery?”.

The Japan International Eye Hospital with modern equipment and facilities, thorough Japanese standard examination procedures, a team of experienced ophthalmologists will provide accurate diagnoses and optimal treatment indications for your eyes.