I have a cataract. Could it be lead poisoning?

jho

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Went to a optometrist due to cloudy vision in my left eye and was found to have a cataract in that eye.

I only shoot fmj and do not use aerosols when cleaning my guns. I started reloading a year ago and use a dry vibratory tumbler. The stuff gets dusty and I'm not always good about wearing a mask.

The doctor said I'm too young to have age onset cataracts at under 30 years old.

Has anyone been lead poisoned before or know someone that has? If so please chime in.


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Cataracts before age 30? I'd get a second opinion, first. Any family history of cataracts?

I think my grandfather has it. I will definitely get a second opinion.

None of the prescriptions helped so they dilated my eyes and found nothing at the back but clouding on the lense"Middle part"

My diet ain't the best

Oh yeah no health care. :( don't shoot me.


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Went to a optometrist due to cloudy vision in my left eye and was found to have a cataract in that eye.

I only shoot fmj and do not use aerosols when cleaning my guns. I started reloading a year ago and use a dry vibratory tumbler. The stuff gets dusty and I'm not always good about wearing a mask.

The doctor said I'm too young to have age onset cataracts at under 30 years old.

Has anyone been lead poisoned before or know someone that has? If so please chime in.


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I doubt it's lead related unless you're creating and sucking in huge clouds of the stuff when you dump out your tumbler, failing to wash your hands, etc. I'm not an MD but I was pretty paranoid about this stuff, and did a lot of research... never heard of someone getting poisoning from reloading... but a bunch of cases from either indoor range personnel/ instructors or people who spent a lot of time practicing at poorly ventilated indoor ranges. Usually lead poisoning causes a lot of other weird shit too, not just vision problems.

May still be worth getting it checked regardless.

-Mike
 
just have your doctor do a blood test, NES ain't the place for medical advice. sure pretty much everyone on here is capable of getting your blood outside your body--we just wouldn't know what to do with it after that. [wink]
 
Until you run a blood screen for lead levels it's all pure speculation.
Even if there is lead poisoning, it's pure speculation it caused the cataract until there is a study performed according to scientific standards, or possibly detection of lead in the removed lens.
 
I've mention this in another thread,I had cataracts in both eyes at 5 years old.
Was a premie and placed in an incubator with pure O2 atmosphere.
 
I had a new lens installed in my one good eye a few years ago. Worked well, but they never told me that in one case out of four a new lens will build up a film on the back side of it and things will get cloudy. However, 10 minutes with the laser removes it. Your results may vary. Ask for a warranty. Jack.
 
Other than aging here are some other causes.

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources
Diabetes
Hypertension
Obesity
Smoking
Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications
Statin medicines used to reduce cholesterol
Previous eye injury or inflammation
Previous eye surgery
Hormone replacement therapy
Significant alcohol consumption
High myopia
Family history
 
Oh yeah no health care. :( don't shoot me.


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Sign up now, take care of your shit ASAP, drop the coverage. Adjust your withholdings so IRS won't owe you anything on your tax return, then they won't be able to fine you. And yes, I believe it's my patriotic duty to sabotage Obamacare.
 
just a thought, but why not put the tumbler OUTSIDE?

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I had a new lens installed in my one good eye a few years ago. Worked well, but they never told me that in one case out of four a new lens will build up a film on the back side of it and things will get cloudy. However, 10 minutes with the laser removes it. Your results may vary. Ask for a warranty. Jack.

are you sure? I had heard that the laser just opens the eye, and they still insert a plastic lens...i.e. deceptive advertising. heard this from an opthalmalogist!
 
Thanks for the input guys. I know this is no place to get medical advice but it is good to hear people's experiences. I will go see a primary care physician and see if I can get a referral to an ophthalmologist.




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just a thought, but why not put the tumbler OUTSIDE?

- - - Updated - - -



are you sure? I had heard that the laser just opens the eye, and they still insert a plastic lens...i.e. deceptive advertising. heard this from an opthalmalogist!
This junk is buildup on the back side of the plastic replacement lens. The laser removes the junk. Where it goes, who knows. Jack.
 
What there a medical determination this was the cause, or is it just drawing a causal link from a sample of 2 eyeballs?

WC courts don't exactly adhere to Daubert when determining causation. Find a friendly doctor to say that A caused B and you're good to go.

Hell, until relatively recently traumatic cancer was a thing.
 
are you sure? I had heard that the laser just opens the eye, and they still insert a plastic lens...i.e. deceptive advertising. heard this from an opthalmalogist!

Jack is talking about a YAG capsulotomy laser to clear what's commonly called an "after-cataract". Very common procedure. Very quick, safe and effective.

The laser you're referring to is related to Femto-laser assisted cataract surgery. The femto-laser makes the incisions to access the inside of the eye, opens the cataract capsule and softens the cataract. For the foreseeable future all cataract surgeries will require removal of the actual cataract fragments and placement of an artificial lens. I disagree that it's deceptive advertising. The real question... is it worth the few thousand dollars out of your own pocket to choose the laser surgery over the blade surgery. For most the answer is "no". But for my eye the answer is "abso-freaking-lutely"

This slightly different opinion from a different ophthalmologist.
 
Jack is talking about a YAG capsulotomy laser to clear what's commonly called an "after-cataract". Very common procedure. Very quick, safe and effective.

The laser you're referring to is related to Femto-laser assisted cataract surgery. The femto-laser makes the incisions to access the inside of the eye, opens the cataract capsule and softens the cataract. For the foreseeable future all cataract surgeries will require removal of the actual cataract fragments and placement of an artificial lens. I disagree that it's deceptive advertising. The real question... is it worth the few thousand dollars out of your own pocket to choose the laser surgery over the blade surgery. For most the answer is "no". But for my eye the answer is "abso-freaking-lutely"

This slightly different opinion from a different ophthalmologist.
Thank you for this. In my case, I think that the surgeon made a slit, broke up the bad lens (ultrasound)? sucked it out, folded the new lens and slid it in. There were no stitches. Jack.
 
This junk is buildup on the back side of the plastic replacement lens. The laser removes the junk. Where it goes, who knows. Jack.

oh I see, IF you get the lenses replace, and 5 years later the plastic lenses fog up, then can clean them with a laser. THAT makes more sense.

I saw some local witch doctor advertising Cataract lens replacement with a laser. I was HOPING they could just blast my natural lenses with the laser, but sadly, they can not. you need to have the frigin operation.
 
oh I see, IF you get the lenses replace, and 5 years later the plastic lenses fog up, then can clean them with a laser. THAT makes more sense.

I saw some local witch doctor advertising Cataract lens replacement with a laser. I was HOPING they could just blast my natural lenses with the laser, but sadly, they can not. you need to have the frigin operation.
Unless you have a case of "white coat syndrome" it's not really that bad. You are awake thru the whole thing and can ask questions while they work. Also, it don't hoit. Jack.
 
None of the prescriptions helped so they dilated my eyes and found nothing at the back but clouding on the lense"Middle part"

There are several forms of congenital cataracts that are found in healthy young eyes that fit the description of "middle part". Most of those are not visually significant. As others have said... I recommend you get a surgical opinion; there may be other issues that require further testing/imaging.

But if you end up choosing cataract surgery, you should fly through it. Talk to some of your more senior colleagues who've gone through it. Most patients are very nervous going in... but nearly all will say it was no big deal afterwards.
 
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