Pathophysiology - Cataract

CATARACTS – opacity of the eye’s normally clear, transparent crystalline lens

Causes

• Aging process
• Inherited
• Injury
• Endocrine disorders

Sign and Symptoms

• Gradual, painless blurring or loss of vision
• Photophobia
• Opaque or cloudy white pupil
• Decreasing visual acuity
• Progressive nearsightedness

Diagnostic Study

• Snellen visual acuity test – used to asses for vision
• Opthalmoscopy– examination of the fundus or interior of the eye
• Slit lamp examination – examination of the structures and fluid in the anterior segment of the eye using binocular microscope that magnifies the surface of the eye

Surgical management

• Intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE)
• Extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE)
• Phacoemulsification

Pathophysiology - Conjunctivitis

CONJUNCTIVITIS – inflammation of the conjunctiva, commonly called “pink eye”

Causes

• Allergy
• Bacterial, viral, or chlamydial infection
• Physical or chemical trauma

Signs and Symptoms

• Redness
• Pain
• Swelling
• Excessive tearing
• Burning or itching
• Purulent discharge from one or both eyes
• Lesions on or near the lid margins
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or throat area

Medical management

• Anitibiotic
• Warm soaks or sterile saline irrigations
• Antihistamine and decongestants