Possible causes of sudden vision loss, treatment. Sudden blindness - causes and treatment
Sudden blindness(amaurosis) may be a consequence of retinal detachment or ischemia and other eye diseases (for example, uveitis), damage to the optic nerves, bilateral damage to the visual cortex. Patients with acutely developed visual impairment should be urgently hospitalized. At the same time, the information that the emergency doctor manages to collect about the development of the disease has important and helps to quickly establish a diagnosis at the hospital stage.
Causes of sudden blindness
Sudden blindness in one eye usually results from damage to the retina and other structures of the eye or the optic nerve. One of its common reasons is transient disorder blood circulation in the retina. Typically, patients complain of a veil that suddenly falls in front of the eye and sometimes covers only part of the field of vision. Sometimes sensory disturbances and transient weakness in opposite limbs are simultaneously observed.
The duration of the episode ranges from several minutes to several hours. In 90% of cases, the cause is embolism of the retinal artery from an ulcerated atherosclerotic plaque in the internal carotid artery, aortic arch, or from the heart (often with damage to the valves or). Less commonly, the cause is a drop in blood pressure in a patient with severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery. Sudden blindness in one eye is a harbinger and should be a reason for active examination of the patient.
The likelihood of developing a stroke can be reduced by regularly taking aspirin (100 – 300 mg per day) or indirect anticoagulants(with cardiogenic embolism). In young people, retinal migraine may cause transient blindness in one eye. The loss of vision in this case is a migraine aura that precedes an attack of headache or occurs shortly after its onset.
However, even with a typical medical history, it is advisable to exclude special research pathology carotid arteries and hearts. Differential diagnosis It is also carried out with a visual aura in the form of a migrating flickering scotoma during an attack of classical scotoma, but the visual aura usually involves the right and/or left fields of vision in both eyes, and not one eye, in addition, it remains visible in the dark and when closing the eyes.
Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is caused by insufficient blood flow through the posterior ciliary artery, which supplies the optic disc. Clinically, it manifests itself as a sudden loss of vision in one eye, not accompanied by pain in the eyeball. The diagnosis can be easily confirmed by fundus examination, which reveals swelling and hemorrhage in the area of the optic nerve head. Most often it develops in patients with long-term arterial hypertension and, often - in patients with vasculitis or.
In 5% of cases (especially often in patients over 65 years of age), neuropathy is associated with temporal arteritis and requires immediate corticosteroid therapy to prevent damage to the second eye. The diagnosis of temporal arteritis is facilitated by identifying painful lump and the absence of temporal artery pulsation and signs of polymyalgia rheumatica. Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy is less common. It is usually caused by a combination of severe anemia and arterial hypotension and may cause nerve infarction in the retrobulbar region.
Sometimes posterior ischemic neuropathy occurs against the background of massive blood loss during surgical interventions, gastrointestinal bleeding, injury. There are no changes in the fundus. At hypertensive crisis a sudden drop in vision may be a consequence of spasm of the retinal arterioles or ischemic edema of the optic nerve head. Unnecessarily rapid decline AD can lead to optic disc infarction.
Optic neuritis, an inflammatory demyelinating disease, often involves the retrobulbar part of the nerve (retrobulbar neuritis), so pathology cannot be detected during the initial examination of the fundus. Most patients, in addition to acute loss of vision, experience pain in the eyeball, which intensifies with its movement. The disease often develops in at a young age, can recur and is often the first manifestation of multiple sclerosis.
Intravenous administration large doses Methylprednisolone (1 g per day for 3 days) accelerates recovery. Sudden blindness in both eyes may be a manifestation of toxic optic neuropathy. Toxic neuropathy may be associated with methyl alcohol, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), or carbon monoxide poisoning. A more gradual development of optic neuropathy with increasing atrophy without a disc edema phase can be caused by a number of medicines– chloramphenicol (chloramphenicol), amiodarone, streptomycin, isoniazid, penicillamine, digoxin, ciprofloxacin, as well as lead, arsenic or thallium poisoning.
Blindness can also be a consequence of the development of congestive optic discs (with benign intracranial hypertension or brain tumors). It is often preceded by short-term episodes of blurred vision in one or both eyes, occurring when changing body position and lasting several seconds or minutes.
In case of persistent loss of vision, administration of methylprednisolone (250–500 mg intravenously) and urgent consultation with an ophthalmologist and neurosurgeon are necessary. Acute blindness in both eyes can also be a consequence of bilateral infarction of the occipital lobes (cortical blindness) and occur as a result of blockage of the basilar artery (usually as a result of embolism) or prolonged systemic arterial hypotension. The source of embolism is usually atherosclerotic plaques in the vertebral arteries.
The development of blindness is often preceded by episodes of vertebrobasilar insufficiency with unilateral or bilateral paresthesias or paresis, ataxia, dysarthria, hemianopia, dizziness, double vision. Unlike bilateral blindness caused by damage to the optic nerves, with cortical blindness, pupillary reactions remain intact.
Some patients with cortical blindness develop anosognosia: such a patient denies the presence of blindness, claiming that the room is dark or he simply forgot his glasses. Acute blindness can be psychogenic in nature and be one of the manifestations of hysteria. Typically, such patients (usually young women) claim that everything around them is immersed in darkness (patients with organic cortical blindness often find it difficult to describe their visual sensations).
The history often reveals other hysterical symptoms (lump in the throat, pseudoparesis, hysterical fits, mutism, hysterical gait disturbances). Pupillary reactions normal, no stem symptoms. Unlike others, whose obligatory presence and extreme concern can serve as additional diagnostic criterion, patients are often not alarmed, but rather calm, and sometimes even smile mysteriously (“beautiful indifference”).
Sudden blindness may be a symptom
Which doctors should I contact in case of sudden blindness?
Is it possible to go blind from a computer? How many hours a day can you spend in front of a monitor? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Today, many people use a computer every day. And for office workers it has become an indispensable tool. Is it possible to go blind from a computer? We’ll find out below.
Experts' opinion
Many people ask whether it is possible to go blind from a computer. It is known that the monitor provokes and causes excessive visual tension. Often, after working at a computer for a long time, a person even starts to have a headache. Therefore, this has a negative effect on the state of the body.
But experts say that if you spend even 14 hours a day at a PC, a person cannot go blind.
Hygiene rules
So is it possible to go blind from a computer? Active use PC is fraught with excessive eye strain (as we discussed above) and even a decrease in visual acuity. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely avoid such damage. At the current level of technology evolution, it is extremely reliable protection from the influence of the monitor is not provided.
And yet the harm to the computer can be minimized. It is enough just to follow the rules of visual hygiene. If a person spends too long looking at the monitor, his eyes will get tired. But even those who spend up to 14 hours at a PC every day do not lose their vision. This is dictated by the ability to provide acceptable eye protection.
You should look away from your PC monitor every 20 minutes. It is enough to look out the window or into the distance for just 20 seconds. It is also necessary to remember that glare on the monitor increases eye fatigue. To prevent vision impairment, place the monitor below eye level. This will prevent pain from occurring in the neck.
The ideal distance from the visual organs to the PC screen is considered to be 50-70 cm. But if this is not observed, there is no need to bend or stretch to achieve the required position. It is important that you do not feel discomfort when working at the computer.
Now you know the answer to the question: can you go blind from a computer if you sit in front of it a lot? By the way, don't forget about good rest from labor activity behind the monitor. Experts also strongly advise visiting eye doctor at least once a year. This will help monitor the state of visual function.
Details
So now you know that going blind from a PC is probably unlikely. But the visual organs adapt to the computer, so there is a risk of developing myopia. After all, if a person is in confined spaces for too long, the eyes adapt to short distances.
Myopia develops more often in those who work at a PC than in those who repeatedly look into the distance and are constantly open spaces. By the way, only 3-4% of the total population are biologically predisposed to myopia. Mostly these are children.
Why do many blame PCs for vision deterioration?
When working at a PC, a person is under stress, which is not associated with responsibility for the work that he performs. The reason is that the PC is placed too close. WITH biological point From a perspective, everything that is nearby is more dangerous than what is far away.
That's why it's not so much the PC itself, but the tension experienced from tracking nearby objects. Because of this, we blink less often and our eyes dry out, especially in conditions of unnatural heating. Irritation occurs eyeball turns red. If you read texts from a paper sheet, the consequences will be identical.
How to protect your eyes?
During the heating season, you can place humidifiers in the room where you work. If your eyes are dry, you can also use tear replacement drops, which your eye doctor will prescribe.
Rare blinking, dry air, and working at short distances lead to a feeling of discomfort. Do you think it's in your eyes? foreign body, you feel a burning sensation - these are all symptoms of visual computer syndrome. And if a person works daily at a PC in a room with dry air, the symptoms will worsen.
PC glasses
PC glasses represent a kind of barrier that creates a special microclimate around the eye. They are probably working in this area. But it is unlikely that color filters in glasses can somehow reduce the load on the visual organs. Regardless of whether a person works with or without glasses, the surface of the eye dries out as blinking slows down.
Safe norm
An adult can work at the monitor as much as he needs. But you should also take breaks at least every 40 minutes: relax, rest, blink well, look into the distance, put moisturizing drops into your eyes.
Contact lenses
Everyone knows that contact lenses are on the surface of the eye. That's why they can, like foreign body, call inflammatory reaction. Add the dryness that appears due to infrequent blinking - and the visual organs become inflamed.
If you wear contact lenses while working on a computer, visit your eye doctor once every 6 months. If recommended, use special moisturizing drops.
By the way, to improve the stability of the retina, take vitamins as recommended by your doctor.
The effect of monitors on children's vision
Is it possible to go blind from a computer after 10 years? We invite you to familiarize yourself with a short list of tips on how to reduce bad influence tablet, PC and smartphone monitors on children’s vision.
- If you try to hide all this equipment from the kids for a long time, there will be no trouble. Remember that all these technologies are not recommended for children under two years of age.
- The older your child is, the more time he can spend on the PC: from 3 to 5 years - 15 minutes. per day, 6-7 years - 20-25 minutes, 8 years - 40 minutes, 9-10 years - no more than 1.5 hours (necessarily with breaks).
It will be much more difficult to control your child later, since he will already become quite old. And even today, 1.5 hours a day on a PC is too little, since almost all preparation for lessons is carried out using this machine.
It is better to teach your child to do eye exercises and take breaks every hour. Teach your child by example - it won’t hurt you to work like that either. As long as vision exists, it must be protected, and not saved when it is already hopelessly damaged.
Distance is the law. Teach kids from an early age proper operation with any computer devices. And here it is not only important to maintain the correct distance, correct posture also plays a big role.
Smartphones
We continue to find out whether it is possible to go blind from a computer and a telephone. Smartphones (phones) are not a toy. Even though they are trying to make them so. Smartphones have very small screens, so they put a huge strain on your eyesight.
If you want to give your child a gift, it’s better to buy him a tablet with a diagonal of 9.7-10.1 cm. Always buy high-quality devices. Cheap things are good when they are disposable. And here computer technology should be of high quality, then the impact of the monitor on the baby’s eyes can be minimized. This rule also applies to adults.
By the way, forget about using a smartphone in dark room. After all, the bright backlight of the screen, coupled with a lack of lighting, is very harmful to the eyes. Use your phone only when daylight or in a well-lit room.
Always keep your smartphone at least 40 cm away from your face. The closer you place it to your eyes, the faster you will become myopic.
What if you already have myopia?
Some people wonder if it is possible to become computer blind if you are nearsighted. Experts recommend that people with myopia reduce their working hours at the PC, take breaks more often, and relax on vacation and on weekends.
Doctors also advise performing eye exercises (movements in directions, squinting, rotation, etc.) and general strengthening exercises. They say that when normal conditions labor can stop the progression of myopia.
Doctors say that it is best in this case to work 3-4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon with hourly breaks of 15 minutes. On weekends you need to rest, as an exception, a couple of hours at the PC, no more. It is not recommended to work in the evening or at night. Take care of your eyesight and be healthy!
Is it possible to go blind from a computer? How many hours a day can you spend in front of a monitor? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Today, many people use a computer every day. And for office workers it has become an indispensable tool. Is it possible to go blind from a computer? We’ll find out below.
Experts' opinion
Many people ask whether it is possible to go blind from a computer. It is known that the monitor provokes eye fatigue and causes excessive visual tension. Often, after working at a computer for a long time, a person even starts to have a headache. Therefore, this has a negative effect on the state of the body.
But experts say that if you spend even 14 hours a day at a PC, a person cannot go blind.
Hygiene rules
So is it possible to go blind from a computer? Active use of PCs is fraught with excessive eye strain (as we discussed above) and even a decrease in visual acuity. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely avoid such damage. At the current level of technology evolution, there is no extremely reliable protection against the influence of a monitor.
And yet the harm to the computer can be minimized. It is enough just to follow the rules of visual hygiene. If a person spends too long looking at the monitor, his eyes will get tired. But even those who spend up to 14 hours at a PC every day do not lose their vision. This is dictated by the ability to provide acceptable eye protection.
You should look away from your PC monitor every 20 minutes. It is enough to look out the window or into the distance for just 20 seconds. It is also necessary to remember that glare on the monitor increases eye fatigue. To prevent vision impairment, place the monitor below eye level. This will prevent pain from occurring in the neck.
The ideal distance from the visual organs to the PC screen is considered to be 50-70 cm. But if this is not observed, there is no need to bend or stretch to achieve the required position. It is important that you do not feel discomfort when working at the computer.
Now you know the answer to the question: can you go blind from a computer if you sit in front of it a lot? By the way, don’t forget about proper rest from working behind the monitor. Experts also strongly advise visiting an eye doctor at least once a year. This will help monitor the state of visual function.
Details
So now you know that going blind from a PC is probably unlikely. But the visual organs adapt to the computer, so there is a risk of developing myopia. After all, if a person is in confined spaces for too long, the eyes adapt to short distances.
Myopia is more likely to develop in those who work at a PC than in those who repeatedly look into the distance and are constantly in open spaces. By the way, only 3-4% of the total population are biologically predisposed to myopia. Mostly these are children.
Why do many blame PCs for vision deterioration?
When working at a PC, a person is under stress, which is not associated with responsibility for the work that he performs. The reason is that the PC is placed too close. From a biological point of view, everything that is located nearby is more dangerous than what is located further away.
That's why it's not so much the PC itself, but the tension experienced from tracking nearby objects. Because of this, we blink less often and our eyes dry out, especially in conditions of unnatural heating. Irritation occurs and the eyeball becomes red. If you read texts from a sheet of paper, the consequences will be identical.
How to protect your eyes?
During the heating season, you can place humidifiers in the room where you work. If your eyes are dry, you can also use tear replacement drops, which your eye doctor will prescribe.
Rare blinking, dry air, working at a short distance lead to a feeling of discomfort. You think that a foreign body has entered your eyes, you feel a burning sensation - these are all symptoms of visual computer syndrome. And if a person works daily at a PC in a room with dry air, the symptoms will worsen.
PC glasses
PC glasses represent a kind of barrier that creates a special microclimate around the eye. They are probably working in this area. But it is unlikely that color filters in glasses can somehow reduce the load on the visual organs. Regardless of whether a person works with or without glasses, the surface of the eye dries out as blinking slows down.
Safe norm
An adult can work at the monitor as much as he needs. But you should also take breaks at least every 40 minutes: relax, rest, blink well, look into the distance, put moisturizing drops into your eyes.
Contact lenses
Everyone knows that contact lenses are on the surface of the eye. That is why they can, like a foreign body, cause an inflammatory reaction. Add the dryness that appears due to infrequent blinking - and the visual organs become inflamed.
If you wear contact lenses while working on a computer, visit your eye doctor once every 6 months. If recommended, use special moisturizing drops.
By the way, to improve the stability of the retina, take vitamins as recommended by your doctor.
The effect of monitors on children's vision
Is it possible to go blind from a computer after 10 years? We invite you to familiarize yourself with a short list of tips on how to reduce the harmful effects of tablet, PC and smartphone monitors on children’s vision.
- If you try to hide all this equipment from the kids for a long time, there will be no trouble. Remember that all these technologies are not recommended for children under two years of age.
- The older your child is, the more time he can spend on the PC: from 3 to 5 years - 15 minutes. per day, 6-7 years - 20-25 minutes, 8 years - 40 minutes, 9-10 years - no more than 1.5 hours (necessarily with breaks).
It will be much more difficult to control your child later, since he will already become quite old. And even today, 1.5 hours a day on a PC is too little, since almost all preparation for lessons is carried out using this machine.
It is better to teach your child to do eye exercises and take breaks every hour. Teach your child by example - it won’t hurt you to work like that either. As long as vision exists, it must be protected, and not saved when it is already hopelessly damaged.
Distance is the law. Teach children from an early age how to properly operate any computer devices. And here it is not only important to maintain the correct distance, correct posture also plays a big role.
Smartphones
We continue to find out whether it is possible to go blind from a computer and a telephone. Smartphones (phones) are not a toy. Even though they are trying to make them so. Smartphones have very small screens, so they put a huge strain on your eyesight.
If you want to give your child a gift, it’s better to buy him a tablet with a diagonal of 9.7-10.1 cm. Always buy high-quality devices. Cheap things are good when they are disposable. But computer equipment must be of high quality, then the impact of the monitor on the baby’s eyes can be minimized. This rule also applies to adults.
By the way, forget about using your smartphone in a dark room. After all, the bright backlight of the screen, coupled with a lack of lighting, is very harmful to the eyes. Use your phone only in daylight or in a well-lit room.
Always keep your smartphone at least 40 cm away from your face. The closer you place it to your eyes, the faster you will become myopic.
What if you already have myopia?
Some people wonder if it is possible to become computer blind if you are nearsighted. Experts recommend that people with myopia reduce their working hours at the PC, take breaks more often, and relax on vacation and on weekends.
Doctors also advise performing eye exercises (movements in directions, squinting, rotation, etc.) and general strengthening exercises. They say that under normal working conditions the progression of myopia can be stopped.
Doctors say that it is best in this case to work 3-4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon with hourly breaks of 15 minutes. On weekends you need to rest, as an exception, a couple of hours at the PC, no more. It is not recommended to work in the evening or at night. Take care of your eyesight and be healthy!
Medical term " blindness"(caecitas) is used in the complete absence of vision or its significant reduction.
In Statistical Classification of Injuries, Diseases and Causes of Death (Tenth Revision) blindness is defined as less than 3/60, the degree of visual ability, or the degree of narrowing of the visual field to 100. At the same time, with the ability to see in the range from 3/60 to 6/18 or narrowing of the visual field from 100 to 200, it is customary to say about partial vision.
According to WHO, of the 285 million people on the planet with various disorders visual functions, 39 million people affected blindness. 82% of people deprived of the ability to see are classified as age group 50 years and older.
Types of blindness
Blindness may be congenital And acquired. It is customary to distinguish four forms of blindness.1. Complete (absolute) blindness. Most often, absolute blindness occurs from birth.
2. Scotoma - partial loss fields of view. The Greek word skotos translated into Russian means “darkness”.
3. Hemianopsia- loss of certain halves of the visual fields of both visual organs.
4. Daltonism or colored, color blindness
. It manifests itself in a decrease or absence of the ability of the organ of vision to distinguish shades of colors.
The word "blindness" is used in popular name diseases hemeralopia(other name nyctalopia, which means “night blindness” in Greek). Meaning night blindness , in which vision is significantly reduced in low light conditions. A condition where vision deterioration in low light occurs because the eyes are tired, e.g. long work with a computer monitor, usually called " false night blindness».
When various areas in the visual area of the cerebral cortex are damaged, the so-called selective blindness- lack of ability to see certain specific features, for example, details of the shape of an object, shades of color.
Clinical picture
Complete blindness characterized by a persistent absence of visual sensations. The pupil does not react even to rays of bright light. The visual analyzer does not perceive the attributes of objects - color, size, their location. Therefore, difficulties arise with the assessment of spatial features. The blind have an enhanced reaction to sound, which helps them navigate the surrounding reality.Light perception and residual vision may remain in one eye (corrected with glasses 0.01-0.05). With a fixed gaze, the angular space visible to the eye does not exceed 10 degrees. To refer to such a vision anomaly, ophthalmologists use the term “ low vision».
Patients with hemianopsia I am concerned about the blindness that occurs from time to time. They complain about black spot, covering a greater or lesser part of the field of view and interfering with vision. Such people find it difficult to navigate in space, read, or watch TV shows.
At scotoma the ability to see is completely absent or weakened in a small area of the space visible to the eye.
At color blindness most often there is a decrease in either complete absence perception of shades of one, two or three primary colors at once: red, green, blue.
So-called cortical blindness characterized by diversity clinical manifestations. Typically, signs of this type of blindness become more pronounced when under stress or exhaustion. Often, patients with cortical blindness complain of worsening vision towards the end of the day.
Temporary (intermittent) blindness sometimes precedes irreversible loss of vision. “It was as if a curtain had fallen before my eyes,” these are the words used by patients to describe their condition.
Causes of blindness
Blindness occurs due to a number of pathological disorders.1. Light rays do not reach or focus on the retina properly.
2. The retina is in a state that does not allow it to perceive light normally.
3. Nerve impulses from the retina enter the centers of the brain in a distorted form.
4. The state of the brain does not allow us to perceive information sent by the organ of vision.
The listed disorders are the result of various diseases, most often cataracts, which block the entry of light into the visual organ, and glaucoma. According to WHO, due to cataracts, people lose the ability to see in 47.9% of cases. Glaucoma, a disease that is asymptomatic and ends in an attack, causes blindness in 12.3% of cases. Other common reasons:
Decrease in visual acuity associated with reaching old age (8.7%);
keratitis - inflammatory process in the cornea, causing it to become cloudy (5.1%);
diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication diabetes mellitus (4,8%);
trachoma - infection eye (3.6%);
onchotsnerciasis - damage to the eyes and skin by helminths (0.8%).
A number of pregnancy-related factors lead to the development of blindness in children. Thus, retinopathy of prematurity often leads to irreversible loss of visual functions - serious disease, which causes pathological changes in the retina and vitreous body.
Childhood blindness may develop as a consequence of the syndrome congenital rubella. This happens if the rubella virus gets into the fetus through the mother's blood. arise various anomalies, including cataracts, heart defects, congenital deafness. Another type of childhood blindness, xerophthalmia, develops if the cornea does not contain enough vitamin A, which is so necessary for it.
Brief interesting data
For more than 90 years, the white cane has been a symbol, pass and identification of blind people all over the world. First time with a cane white A blind young photographer from Bristol named James Biggs set out to walk around the city on his own. This happened in 1921.
In 2010, inventors from Korea developed a cane for the blind with an ultrasonic sensor. The device notifies the owner about an obstacle in his path using a vibration signal, and about the color of an object - with a voice.
Traumatic eye injuries are the leading cause of monocular blindness (loss of vision in one eye). Damage to the occipital lobe of the brain can also lead to irreversible changes. If the visual centers are deprived of the ability to correctly receive and analyze impulses coming through the optic nerve, cortical blindness occurs.
Exist genetic reasons blindness and decreased vision. Thus, vision problems are often observed in people with albinism, although complete blindness in albinos is quite rare. A number of mutations associated with various genes lead to the development of Leber congenital amaurosis. This hereditary disease manifests itself in early age quite serious visual impairment. Retinal degradation and, as a result, blindness, is one of the manifestations of a rare genetic pathology called Bardet-Biedl syndrome.
It should be noted that the causes of blindness in humans, as well as dogs and cats, are largely similar, but not in cases where blindness in humans develops after taking certain chemical substances, for example methanol. Breaking down into formic acid and formaldehyde, this dangerous poison can lead to irreversible loss of vision and many other unpleasant consequences and even to death. Just 30 ml of methyl alcohol causes irreversible degradation of the optic nerve.
Diagnostics
The severity of blindness is checked using various visual acuity testing scales. The diagnosis of complete blindness is made in cases where the patient's pupil does not react to light at all. With practical blindness, partial vision is retained. In this state, the patient can distinguish between darkness and light, but the ability to perceive visual information is so insignificant that it has no practical significance.All types of scotoma (physiological, pathological, positive, negative, atrial fibrillation) and hemianopsia are detected using perimetry and campimetry - special methods study of the boundaries and central zone of the visual field.
If a pathology of color perception is suspected, the ophthalmologist uses Rabkin tables. If color vision is impaired, a person cannot recognize certain symbols. To diagnose color blindness, a special device is often used - an anomaloscope.
Treatment
To date, there are no methods for restoring vision in cases of blindness due to damage to the optic nerve and stroke. Compensation for such a severe visual defect as blindness cannot be sufficiently complete and restorative. normal life patient without outside intervention.
To ensure that patients with acquired blindness have the opportunity to special means engage in normal activities, they are asked to change their habits and the daily course of their lives. These patients have access to a variety of manuals, Braille books, reading software, and a variety of simple and complex devices designed to enhance the capabilities of people who are blind or have low vision.
Sudden blindness always becomes a severe mental shock. Along with neurotic reactions to vision loss, the blind often develop anxious depression. Therefore, in healing process Not only an ophthalmologist, but also a psychiatrist should participate.
As for other forms of blindness, treatment of scotoma and hemianopsia is primarily aimed at eliminating the factors that led to loss of areas from the field of vision. For example, if the retina is detached and a tumor is detected, correction of the underlying disease is carried out by surgical intervention. Atrial scotoma, caused by spasm of cerebral vessels, is treated with antispasmodic drugs.
There are currently no treatments for congenital color blindness. At the same time, treatment of acquired pathology can be carried out by eliminating the cause that caused it. In some cases, discontinuation of the drug is sufficient.
New approaches in the treatment of blindness
If until recently complete blindness was considered an incurable disease, then modern level The development of science and technology allows us to hope that blindness will soon be defeated. Several groups of researchers have already announced progress in solving this problem. New treatment approaches offer hope to millions of people suffering from blindness due to pathological changes in the retina.Thus, in 2009, the world press reported on a successful transplant operation of the so-called bionic eye. As a result of surgery, a completely blind 76-year-old patient partially recovered his vision.
Scientists at Oxford University were able to use stem cells to restore vision to experimental mice that had total loss photosensitivity. This was reported in a university press release in January 2013. At the same time, researchers announced that they intended to continue experiments with stem cells in order to find a way to restore human vision.
In August 2013, the world learned about the achievements of American scientists who were able to decipher the retinal code, previously unknown to science - a unique set of equations that nature uses to convert light into electrical impulses or signals understandable to the brain. The discovery of researchers from New York made it possible to create a prosthesis consisting of a camera and “connected” to optic nerve camera signal converter.
Prevention
Most researchers agree that approximately 80 to 90 percent of blindness can be prevented through a combination of education and access to quality health care.Blindness due to injury can be prevented with eye protection instructions. Nutritional reasons blindness is eliminated by observing simple rules balanced nutrition. Early diagnosis Glaucoma allows you to treat the disease in a timely manner, which allows you to avoid blindness that occurs due to this insidious disease. The implementation of public health standards has already had a significant impact in reducing the incidence of loss of vision due to infection.
Control of blood sugar levels and body weight, physical exercise, smoking cessation, consumption of products containing simple carbohydrates, following a diet - all these measures help to avoid vision loss as a result of diabetic retinopathy.
If a person is diagnosed with any disease that can potentially cause blindness, they should regularly visit an ophthalmologist and undergo examinations. It is this measure that will allow the therapeutic effect to be applied even before vision begins to sharply weaken. When independently identifying visual field impairment, it is also important to promptly seek help from doctors.
Excess weight can lead to blindness
This is true! Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, which is the leading cause of blindness in adults. Find out how to lose weight in our special project “ Lose the excess weight ".
Sitting too close to a TV or computer screen can damage your eyes.
This turned out to be untrue! According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, watching TV is not harmful to your eyes. This also applies to using a computer and going to the cinema. If you sit too close to the screen or work on the computer a lot, your eyes may tire more quickly, but this is easy to fix: just remember to give your eyes time to rest.
Decorative contact lenses are absolutely safe
It is not true. Decorative contact lenses are goods medical purposes and should be sold in pharmacies, and not in cosmetics stores. Moreover, your doctor should perform an examination to determine how your eyes respond to wearing lenses. What other dangers do contact lenses hide?
Laser pointers may cause eye damage
But this is really true! A laser beam aimed directly at the eye can cause eye damage, especially if it is a high-power laser. If used carelessly, laser beams (even if the laser itself is only part of a child's toy) can be very dangerous and cause visual impairment and even blindness.
Eating carrots in large quantities good for vision
Over-the-counter eye drops can be used every day
This is wrong. Doctors do not recommend using drops that relieve red eyes for a long time. Although at the beginning of use they contribute to the narrowing blood vessels and really reduce redness, prolonged use leads to the opposite effect, it is the drops that can cause redness in your eyes. So it is best to use such products for 1-2 days if necessary.
Smoking increases the risk of going blind
This is true. Smoking is important factor risk of developing macular degeneration (a disease that kills nerve cells central, most important departments retina), which leads to disruption central vision. Other risk factors include genetics, diet, exposure to bright sunlight, cardiovascular disease and high arterial pressure.
Be sure to take note of all of the above: this information will help you maintain the health of your eyes for a long time. And don’t forget to regularly check your vision with a specialist.