Nuclear Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment, Will Nuclear Syndrome Cause Blindness?

Richard N. Fogoros is a retired professor of medicine.

The lens of the eye is clouded by nuclear sclerosis.Nuclear sclerotic cataracts can become a problem if they become more severe.Humans with a natural anatomic lens can develop nuclear cataracts as they age.

The part of our eye that receives light is clear when we're young and healthy.The clarity of our eye's lens is important.The lens may change color and become opaque due to age or diseases.This distinct appearance is a sign of getting older and can impair vision.

Nuclear sclerosis is when the central part of the lens becomes cloudy or yellow.Nuclear sclerotic cataracts can develop if the condition becomes severe.The type of cataracts a person has depends on which part of the lens changes.

The cataracts may be immature or mature depending on the severity of the clouding.The lens will appear to be white when it's mature.

When a person develops cataracts, they may not notice any changes to their vision.Cataracts get worse over time.The signs and symptoms can be subtle at first.

The appearance of the eye can be seen when looking in a mirror or at a photograph.It is possible that these changes are first noticed by a partner, family member, or friend.They may be noted by a doctor at a routine physical or during an eye exam.

Cataracts don't usually cause any pain or discomfort.The symptoms may be indicative of other conditions and should be investigated by a medical professional.

Humans have been dealing with cataracts for a long time.Our bodies change as we get older, from our bones to our brains.Our eyes have a see-through lens that allows light to reflect off the retina.The light hitting the retina sends an electrical signal to our brain, which tells us what our eyes are seeing.

As a person ages, the central part of the eye's lens can become discolored,sclerosis, or clouded in appearance.Cataracts can cause the lens of the eye to be gray or white.The amount of light that can reach the retina decreases as the lens becomes more clouded.

Cataracts are very common.A person may develop a cataracts in one eye at first, but as time goes on they are likely to develop one in the other eye as well.

Nuclear sclerotic cataracts can happen when the central portion of the lens is getting old.Most of the fibers are made of water.The old fibers don't clear out of the way to make room for new ones, and the crowding causes the "cloudy" or hardened lens.

The older one is more likely to develop cataracts.It's almost certain that a person will develop at least a mild case if they live long enough.There are other factors that can increase a person's risk of developing cataracts, and some may lead them to begin at a younger age.

Cataracts can be present at birth or at a young age due to conditions such as hyperthyroidism.A person is more likely to develop cataracts if someone else in their family did.

When a person's vision starts to decline, they will experience a temporary improvement.This is called second sight.If age-related changes to the lens cause eye problems, the decline will continue, though it may take a while.

If a person has blurry vision or needs to change their glasses, they should go to the eye doctor.They can measure the pressure in a person's eyes and see how well they see with and without glasses.

Cataracts are usually easy to diagnose if they are severe enough to change how the lens looks.

Even if a person has not started having any trouble with their vision, changes indicative of cataracts may be noticed during routine checkups or exams.

An eye doctor can use an ophthalmoscope to get a good look at the lens of a person's eye and may be able to notice subtle changes occurring before the cataracts have progressed to the point where the vision has been severely affected.Catching these signs early can help a person learn about treatment options sooner and may prevent or delay more serious vision loss.

An eye doctor can only see changes in the nucleus of the eye's lens if a person has nuclear sclerosis.The most common part of the lens is involvement.

If a person has cataracts, they may consider having surgery to remove their cloudy natural lens and replace it with an artificial clear lens to restore their sight.

A person may not need surgery if the condition is still mild.They will want to protect their eyes from the sun's harmful rays by wearing sunglasses.A person with nuclear sclerosis may be prescribed eye drops for cataracts in the future, but this is still experimental at this time.

Patients with cataracts have different experiences.Some may not be very bothered by them, while others may lose their sight completely.If the cataracts become so bad that a person can't see well or is no longer able to drive, their doctor will probably suggest surgery.

If a patient doesn't feel ready for surgery and their vision is not impaired, their doctor will likely advise them to put off surgery.Cataracts will not damage the eye in the long term if a person doesn't have surgery.As the cataracts become more severe, a person's vision is likely to be affected.

Sometimes, if a person has another health condition such as diabetes, their vision won't improve even if they have cataract surgery.As one gets older, working closely with doctors and specialists will be important to maintaining independence and good health.

Cataract surgery is safe and effective for most patients.During the procedure, the old, hardened lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens that is specifically designed for the patient's eye.

If a person has cataracts in both eyes, they will need to have one done at a time, depending on your doctor's recommendation, and the second can be done a week after the first.For the first couple of weeks after surgery, a person may be told to wear an eye patch.A doctor can tell a person to avoid straining or lifting heavy things.After surgery, most people need around eight weeks to recover.

By the time most people reach their 80s, half will have developed cataracts in at least one eye that will be severe enough to warrant surgery.Some patients may not want to have surgery to remove cataracts.If vision is severely affected, surgery to remove the cataracts and replace them with artificial lens may be required to restore sight.Mild cataracts can only be treated with wearing protective eye gear and using prescribed or over-the-counter eye drops.

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