I have just been diagnosed with cataracts . Anyone know if being hypothyroid can trigger this
Thanks
Cataracts: I have just been diagnosed with... - Thyroid UK
Cataracts
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jojomac23
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Cataracts are extremely common as we get older, hypo or not.
SeasideSusieRemembering
I agree with Bantam, I know quite a few people who have had or currently have cataracts and none of them Hypo.
ccteyes.com/understanding-t...
There are many websites describing cataracts. The one above is American. It does mention diabetes and raised blood pressure - which can co-exist with being Hypo. It also mentions statin use ..
The condition can involve a build-up of proteins in the lens - so natural cleansing/removal is not taking place - which in many parts of the body can be linked to a slow metabolism.
I too have recently been diagnosed and am awaiting surgery.
After experiencing quick onset glaucoma a few weeks ago, I, too, am awaiting an operation. I was told it would be within 6 months, so should be sometime before Christmas. When I went for a 6 week follow-up appointment and had scans of both eyes, I was told it was caused by the slow-growing cataract I had. This has been slowly growing for at least the past 5 years.
My blood pressure, although normally quite good, had suddenly gone up to 190/113 with a massive headache, which is not normally something I suffer with. I also had sudden clouding of my left eye. Once in hospital I was immediately diagnosed with quick onset glaucoma and after a 20 minute transfusion of a medication the clouding and headache vanished. My BP slowly came down over the next couple of weeks and is very good now. I went back to hospital early the next day and had laser treatment as a delaying tactic.
Before all this I had recently had a course of Cephalexin, which unfortunately had acacia powder in it. I did not notice the addition of the acacia powder until I had almost finished the course. I really do think this had something to do with it as acacia powder has been the bane of my life for the past 10 years.
Good luck with your operation Marz .
A frightening experience. Hoping you get the treatment you need without inordinate delay. 🤞
The Doctor I saw, who was lovely, seemed pretty certain that it would be within 6 months, so here's hoping.
Gosh that sounds an optical nightmare - poor you. Hope all will go well for you now.
I am sure there are so many factors involved in causing eye problems. I was also diagnosed 3 years ago with early Macular de-generation and I was in email contact with Professor Chris Knobbe in the States as he had written a book on the subject. He said it was caused by bad diet ! When I explained how I had always eaten well - and could it be an absorption issue ( Hashi's - Crohns - lots of gut surgery ) he said yes it could be and that he had not included that in his book - damn ! Vital info missed !!
Thank you for your good wishes 🤓😎
Hi I have cataracts in both eyes, very small at the moment, and yes I am hypothyroid! There is a list on Google that lists out 300 thyroid symptoms. have a look, it probably mentions cataracts.
I have also been told I have a cataract in my left eye last week, which is worrying as apparently at 58 it is apparently the cataract of an 85 yr old. That and already had a cataract in my right eye at the age of 46. That cataract surgery was followed just over a year with a detached retina in the same eye.. A detached retina is bizarre in that the lower half of the eye was like a lavender lava lamp which was slowly rising. That dr appt led to emergency surgery as apparently I was about to lose the vision in that eye...
Oh my, that’s quite a frightening experience!
I have also been diagnosed with bilateral cataracts stage 1. I never thought about linking them to thyroid disease or medication as some others have. However, your experience highlights the fact that we must take care and get our eyes regularly checked.
I sincerely hope that you are ok now.
I understand most cataracts are caused by sun damage. So always wear sunglasses in sunny conditions. A hat helps too.
Thanks. I am someone who does not sun worship at all
I have just been reading an article on internet that suggests low vitamin d can be a factor and mine has been low despite taking supplements
I replied to you on your VitD thread ?? Did you manage to have a peep at the link I posted for you above ? VitD involved in AMD too. As VitD is anti-inflammatory and a steroidal pro-hormone it makes sense it is involved in many conditions. VitD needed in every cell of the body ... 🌻
Thanks . Probably need to have extra vitd x
My vitamin D level was only 9mg/dl a few years ago. I couldn’t stand or walk, my muscles and bones were very sore. My teeth and hair were falling out and the soles of my feet were very painful. I had very poor night vision and suffered from daytime blurred vision .
I know that dry eyes disease is associated with Thyroid disease, not sure about cataracts or other eye disorders such as those you experienced.
It's not very common to see someone in their 50's being sent for cataract surgery. In saying that I know of a girl in her 20's who has been for cataract surgery in both eyes. It doesn't have to be hot and sunny for the UV index to be high it can be cloudy and overcast and the UV will be high.
I have had cataracts in both eyes done in the last 8 months. My optician reckoned it was steroid use that meant I had them early rather than later - I am 70, I am on steroids for asthma and I am hypothyroid. Either way - it is brilliant - do not need glasses for distance and only a +2 prescription for reading. The first month or two everything takes on a brightness and colour you will love. Go for it.
I am so glad it worked for you . Just early stages for me . Did your eyesight have to get bad before they operate
The year before at my eye test the optician told me I had the beginnings of cataracts. Last September I went back for another test thinking my eyes were slightly worse but everything was fine with my glasses on and I might need to go up a prescription. She said that the cataract on m right eye had got much worse over the year and she was referring me for cataract surgery on both. This is in the UK and she referred me to the NHS. I was expecting a 2 year wait or pay £5000 privately but in my area they have a target of 16 weeks and in November I had the first one done and the second in February. So I did not even know I had a problem!
Murray58 am desperate for new glasses, but was told to wait until after surgery as normally June is when I have a test for eyes. Your information has cheered me. Thank you.
My hugely expensive high density varifocals are a load of junk now. Absolute waste of time to get new glasses before surgery. If you go privately they seem to do the eyes one or two weeks apart. The NHS likes the first eye to heal and then to assess for the second and then there is a wait so it ended up with three months between ops and that was the most difficult part as I had one eye that was almost perfect vision and one the same as ever. Ended up paying to get plain glass put in one side of my existing specs so I could see well enough but did not drive a car in between ops. That is the only downside of going on the NHS. After the second op I bought +2 specs from Poundland and they did very well until 6 weeks after the second op when I went back to my opticians and got tested and a proper pair. Many carry on with the £1 specs but I have an astigmatism on one eye so needed that corrected through specs. BTW each op took less than 10 minutes and although you can feel and hear pressure and noises and have to deal with a very bright light in your eyes there was no pain whatsoever.
I aso have vari-focals, but it is two years now since I last had the prescription changed. My right eye as said to be good, but that I would probably have laser treatment as a preventive. I do know I shall probably not be able to drive for a few weeks after, but at the moment that is not a hardship as I am not going anywhere.
I also have an astigmatism in the eye that is to be operated on, the left eye. I presume that this will still need a prescription. Good to hear your information. In the meantime I was thinking of buying some magnifying glasses, to ease reading, of which I do a lot.
I have opted to be put out for the operation as found it hard just having the laser treatment.
I am not clear. Are you saying that you may need cataract surgery but you are going to have laser treatment and an op for the astigmatism first? I would be surprised if that were a recommended route. I was told that on the NHS I could not have the more complex lens put in that deals with both distance and reading vision and that nearly everyone gets distance lens inserted. I was not expecting the huge improvement in my reading ability. I went from a +5 script to +2. I no longer need glasses to drive, I still have varifocals as I tried just with reading glasses but got fed up of taking them on and off and having to go find them where I last left them plus I have been wearing glasses for so long it felt odd without them.
No, sorry Murray58 , I am ue to have cataract surgery within the next 6 months. I did not think this would affect the astigmatism, but have not asked about this. Do you know if that could be improved during surgery? Also had problems with putting glasses on and off while 'watching TV' and reading so that was why I opted for varifocals. Had them for many years now.
I don't know for sure but it didn't correct mine but think I would want to check out what order to do things in if I were you.
I didn't expect surgery to change the astigmatism, but will check on this when I go for pre-op. Good to have your input, I only hope I can remember it all when the time comes.
I am hypothyroid and have a small cataract in an eye, but it has not changed and doesn't greatly affect my vision. My husband had cataracts and is hypothyroid, but his came about because of retina surgery. He had both cataracts removed and implants put in. The surgery was done 3 weeks apart and was a very easy surgery in both the surgery and the recovery. Cataracts are very common and I was told with mine that hypothyroidism is not a contributing factor. If surgery is needed, it isn't something to be too concerned about.
Not at all sure if Thyroidism causes cataracts but steroids certainly do.
I have SLE and had to take fairly high dose Prednislone (average20mg) for quite a while. Cateracts in both eyes was the result. I had lens replacements in both eyes and they have performed very well.
One of the commonest causes of cataracts is high blood glucose over a long period, or unusual fluctuations in BG.
A diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes increases the risk significantly. The people I know who are/were under 60 years of age when cataracts developed are all diabetic. Of course, a lot of people are diabetic for some years before diagnosis.
I've noticed problems with my own sight - not cataracts - for years now which improved and stabilised (more or less) by reducing carbohydrate in my diet.
Interesting, I am diabetic and was diagnosed with cataracts before I was 60 years old. However, I also sufferfrom longterm hypertension and take steroids for asthma. Therefore, in my case it would be difficult to pinpoint the specific cause due to multiple contributing factors and potential causes.
I hope medical researchers read our posts and take up the gauntlet.
Someone close to me is about to have her cataracts operated on. They do one eye at a time and it will take about 20 minutes so it is a minor op. She does suffer with hypothyroid but I think a lot of older people get them.
Hypothyroidmom claims there is a connection, but no indication of how strong the connection is. There are 4 different types of cataracts, I suspect one type might be hypothyroid related. hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypo...
I was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts aged 48 (hypo since age 42), am now 53.
I also had astigmatism minus 5 .
I felt I was too young for cataracts, consultant said "it was uncommon" for my age but not raising any "red flags".
I was offered to have a toric lenses privately by him but I couldnt afford it so had standard nhs distance lenses BUT he did Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI) which virtually cured the astigmatism, I hardly need distance lenses anymore, presc now minus 1. I wld add that 2 yrs later I developed retinal detachment needing full surgery. The astigmatism and having cataract surgery at young age were thought to be precipitating factor. I was lucky and apart from having the reading prescription of an" 85 yr old "! I have the best distance vision since I was a about 8!
I have had cataracts in both eyes but I was hyper thyroid at the time, so I think it’s more to do with whether you’re predisposed to them or just getting older
I was told I had African eyes and had the start of cataracts. African eyes meaning sun damage as I was born in then Southern Rhodesia and lived most of my life in Africa . I had an appointment in early March for glaucoma tests and have had 4 cancelled and reset. At last I have one in one weeks time. I'm also hypo.
Hello I did read an article a while ago which mentioned that lack of selenium was a casue of cataracts, which fit with selenium deficiency & hypothyroid.
Don’t know but I have them too (hypo&Hashi).
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