Old before my time.
 

I started going bald when I was 21, not a nice experience for someone of that age. Then at 28 I started to get the odd speckle of grey hair.

I'm now 30 and I found out yesterday I have cararacts in both eyes. I wasn't aware of them and they certainly don't affect my sight yet. Any potential treatment (which I'm been told about - not nice) is a long way off yet but was wondering if anyone here has any experience of cataracts or knows someone who has?

Re: Old before my time.
 

You're falling apart mate !

Re: Old before my time.
 

linkLinked to diabetes........have you had your blood sugar checked lately?

Re: Old before my time.
 

Mrs H's mum had both corneas replaced last year in what she described as a remarkably painless operation.
I think you can initially disolve them with a lazer, but am not sure. It is a very treatable condition in the developed world (not sure about Wales though).

Re: Old before my time.
 

Thats my understanding, I had a visit to the hospital a couple of years ago for tests ( another story ) anyhoo, the doc that examined me said i was short sighted due to cataracs, but said it was treatable :tu:



OOh here we go again :rolleyes:

Re: Old before my time.
 

Hmmm, 30 years, are you still under warranty ....... ;)

Re: Old before my time.
 

Not even Dixons do an extended warranty for 30 years.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Ah Russ welcome to the rest of your life. ;) Next it's the shooting pains in your joints.Then bending down to pick up a 5 pence is just too much hard work. ;)

Coggy. :)

Re: Old before my time.
 

Can't you take out an extended extended warranty ????



Never to much, not for 5 pence, hey Russ ;)

Re: Old before my time.
 

He's Welsh, not Scottish. ;)

Re: Old before my time.
 

NHS cataract information for patients and follow the relevant links :)

If you follow the link to causes you'll see different reasons for the growth of cataracts from as ramrod points out, diabetes to eye injury...... and of course the most common reason is ageing...... but since that isn't likely to be the cause of yours, i'm sure your G.P/Optician will or at least should follow through with other tests, and if not....... ask for them :)

Re: Old before my time.
 

ive heard stories about things that make people lose their eyesight and go bald. What sites have you been surfing on?

I think sunglasses reduce the chances of getting cataracts but once they are there im sure the only way to get rid of them is surgery. However not all cataracts get bad enough to need surgery

Re: Old before my time.
 

not a lot of sympathy apart from this post


the poor guy cant be help being from wales :disturbd: :disturbd: :disturbd:


oooooops now i have done it :Sprint:


a link for you :Peaceman:

Re: Old before my time.
 

working in a opticians i get to see a lot of people who have had cateracts.... they are generally amazed at how much better their vision is after having them removed. i've not seen anyone in their 30's coming in having had a cateract... could always ask the optom at work for you, about it??

Re: Old before my time.
 

Aww poor Russ! :kiss: :hugs:
Well for what it's worth my youngest sister (aged 36 at the time) had her cataracts operated on about 4 years ago now. She had a general anaesthetic as she's squeamish about eyes, but the surgeon was happy do do it under that or a local. She had both eyes done eventually but a gap of 2 - 3 months in between operations. She said she didn't realise how much her sight had deteriorated until after the first operation. Although she hates hospitals etc she said the operation and recovery was a lot easier than she was expecting, and would advise anyone that's having the op not to worry.
She's been diabetic since she was 12 btw.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Thanks for all your kind words, went to the opticians today who said my eyesight had indeed deteriorated slightly due to the cataracts but it's nothing to worry abvout at this time. I have an appointment in 6 months' time to assess any change but one day I am going to need the surgery on both eyes and will happen 6 monts apart.

Re: Old before my time.
 

good on you that you are attacking the problem head on rather than sitting back and letting it get worse :tu:

Re: Old before my time.
 

Ive had a visual impearment since i was born and am now 16. I have however discobered that i had an ulsa at the back of my right eye. Now i had all sorts of treatment for this. Do you think it would be wise for me to have laser eye treatment?

Re: Old before my time.
 

sorry to hear about the cataracts russ, my father has had one for years, its not affected his vision really, just makes the light seem darker than it is.

anyway i think its better to get rid of them.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Only your optician or opthalmic surgon can truly advise on this, but being as my optician says stayaway from laser surgery as I have an unstable astigmatism, I would suggest you wait

1 - Until your ulcer is better
2 - until later in life when your eye sight has truly stabilised.

I'd check back when you reach 21 and see how technology has progressed and how your condition has progressed. The changes in laser surgery in the last 3 years (waveform etc) have been quite phenominal, another three years and we are likely have progressed even further.

Additionally they are still only at the theoretical stage of the results of laser surgery 15 years + out. There could be unforseen long term side effects and unlike most other organs (is the eye an organ?) transplant is not an option, the best that can be done is corneal replacement.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Hmm, good question. Without your eye your mind won't know where to go, you won't be able to feel hot and cold correctly (something to do with the brain) so I would say it is, otherwise you can't do much.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Is the eye an organ?...


Yes. The definition of an organ is a part of the body that performs a specific function.

Re: Old before my time.
 

And what is the largest human organ?

Re: Old before my time.
 

Skin - this is coming back to me now.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Volume, surface or mass? Volume wise I'd guess the colon, surface and mass wise the brain.

Re: Old before my time.
 

Surface.