Cataracts Can Result from Radiation Exposure, Similar to Devastation in Japan - The failure of three nuclear reactors after the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in March 2011 brought to light many of the health concerns people have when living around nuclear power. One question being the effect of radiation on the human eye and its known ability to cause cataracts.
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is an opacification, or clouding, of the lens in the eye. The lens is located just behind the iris and is naturally responsible for three quarters of a person's vision. As the lens becomes clouding and solid, it no longer bends and flexes with the eye limiting the rage of vision for the person with the condition. This typically occurs as a result of aging beginning around the age of 45 to 50; however, cataracts can be caused by disease, trauma and environmental factors.
How much radiation is needed to cause a cataract?
According to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a joint US and Japanese organization, it takes a minimal exposure of 1 unit of gray (Gy; units of radiation) with more than a decade of exposure to register any changes to the lens in the eye. One Gy is the equivalent to .000001 microsieverts (SI); which are what human exposure rates are calculated with. Only weeks after the failure of the reactor, the levels of radiation in towns surrounding the Fukushima plant in Japan were reading 752 SI, as reported by Reuters. This would not register enough of a radiation threat to cause changes in the lens of the eye. Even with continued exposure, at the reported levels, the probability is higher a person would develop a cataract as a result of aging long before one as a result of radiation exposure.
What is the treatment of cataracts caused by radiation?
The treatment of cataracts that are a result of radiation exposure is the same for cataract that develop as a natural part of the ageing process. Surgery is required to remove the opacified lens and replace it with a man-made clear lens. Cataract surgery is considered one of the safest modern surgeries in the world, and is preformed in a hospital or sterile operating suite by an ophthalmic surgeon. Additionally, a person may always elect to not have any treatment for the condition; however, with this option the likelihood that it will continue to develop is high. As the cataract progresses, symptoms (Blurry vision, trouble with glare, decreased reading vision, etc) will continue to worsen.
While the formation of cataracts as a result of radiation is a well-documented one, the chance of it being a threat to the health of the general population living near a nuclear reactor is low. Fortunately, should a person develop the condition as a result of radiation exposure, the treatments are relatively safe and effective. ( yahoo.com )
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is an opacification, or clouding, of the lens in the eye. The lens is located just behind the iris and is naturally responsible for three quarters of a person's vision. As the lens becomes clouding and solid, it no longer bends and flexes with the eye limiting the rage of vision for the person with the condition. This typically occurs as a result of aging beginning around the age of 45 to 50; however, cataracts can be caused by disease, trauma and environmental factors.
How much radiation is needed to cause a cataract?
According to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a joint US and Japanese organization, it takes a minimal exposure of 1 unit of gray (Gy; units of radiation) with more than a decade of exposure to register any changes to the lens in the eye. One Gy is the equivalent to .000001 microsieverts (SI); which are what human exposure rates are calculated with. Only weeks after the failure of the reactor, the levels of radiation in towns surrounding the Fukushima plant in Japan were reading 752 SI, as reported by Reuters. This would not register enough of a radiation threat to cause changes in the lens of the eye. Even with continued exposure, at the reported levels, the probability is higher a person would develop a cataract as a result of aging long before one as a result of radiation exposure.
What is the treatment of cataracts caused by radiation?
The treatment of cataracts that are a result of radiation exposure is the same for cataract that develop as a natural part of the ageing process. Surgery is required to remove the opacified lens and replace it with a man-made clear lens. Cataract surgery is considered one of the safest modern surgeries in the world, and is preformed in a hospital or sterile operating suite by an ophthalmic surgeon. Additionally, a person may always elect to not have any treatment for the condition; however, with this option the likelihood that it will continue to develop is high. As the cataract progresses, symptoms (Blurry vision, trouble with glare, decreased reading vision, etc) will continue to worsen.
While the formation of cataracts as a result of radiation is a well-documented one, the chance of it being a threat to the health of the general population living near a nuclear reactor is low. Fortunately, should a person develop the condition as a result of radiation exposure, the treatments are relatively safe and effective. ( yahoo.com )
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