Causes of sharp decline in vision in adults. Visual impairment: symptoms, causes, treatment, what to do

• Psychogenic reason.
• Bilateral ischemic infarction of the medulla in the area of ​​the vertebrobasilar system.
• Optical neuropathy of ischemic nature.
• Retrobulbar neuritis, which is a consequence of disseminated neuritis.
• Toxic optic neuropathy.
• Postangiographic (artificial).
• Sudden intracranial hypertension of benign and other nature.

If vision in one eye has sharply decreased (unilateral dysfunction), this may be due to:

• Trauma in the anterior cranial fossa or (fracture).
• Temporal arteritis.
• Optic neuropathy, which is a consequence of arteriosclerotic ischemia.
• An increase in intracranial pressure, which led to swelling of the nipple and.
• Retinal migraine.
• Amaurosis fugax, which is a consequence of stenosis of the internal carotid artery.

Bilateral vision loss

Ischemic optic neuropathy

In this condition, co-present ischemic lesion retina. In some cases, bilateral ischemia occurs as a result of aortic arch syndrome if the patient suddenly changes his posture from bending forward to an upright position.

Bilateral infarction

If vascular blood flow is disrupted in the visual cortex, other signs of vertebrobasilar insufficiency are present. In this case, the onset of the disease is often sudden and is accompanied by impaired color vision. Typically, such changes are typical for elderly patients. Pupillary reactions in bilateral infarction are preserved, as a result of which it is necessary to distinguish it from visual agnosia.

Toxic optic neuropathy

The development of symptoms of toxic damage occurs when methyl alcohol is consumed. If your vision has deteriorated sharply, this may be the result long-term abuse tobacco and ethyl alcohol. Sometimes visual impairment occurs due to poisoning with cyanide, isoniazid, trichlorethylene, antineoplastic agents, disulfuram, and methanol.

Retrobulbar neuritis

The first symptom multiple sclerosis in 16% of cases there is retrobulbar neuritis. In this case, an acute or less often subacute onset of the disease is noted. It is central vision that suffers the most. It must be remembered that retrobulbar neuritis is not always caused by multiple sclerosis. Sometimes it is a consequence of inflammation or infection, among which are tuberculosis, cryptococcosis, sarcoidosis, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, brucellosis, mycoplasma. In the event of viral encephalitis or viral infection(mumps, measles, chicken pox, mononucleosis, rubella, herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis A) sometimes bilateral optic neuritis develops.

Benign intracranial hypertension

Increased intracranial pressure of a benign nature is more typical for fat girls who suffer from cycle disorders. With this disease, the development of symptoms is usually gradual. Among the main symptoms there is pain in the occipital region of the head, but sometimes painful sensations asymmetrical or generalized. In second place in terms of occurrence of manifestations benign hypertension is a sharp deterioration in vision. Fundus examination reveals swelling optic nerve. If you produce cerebrospinal fluid, the pressure is 250-400 mm aq. Art. CT signs of intracranial hypertension are a decrease in the size of the ventricles of the brain. Much less often in this condition, damage to the abducens nerve occurs, which is unilateral or bilateral.

Usually the cause of hypertension cannot be determined, but sometimes this condition is preceded by various endocrine pathologies, iron deficiency anemia or pregnancy. If using conservative techniques cannot be restored normal level intracranial pressure, then trepanation is performed for the purpose of decompression.

Postangiographic blindness

With artificial vision loss (Anton's syndrome), toxic damage to the occipital lobes of the brain on both sides most often occurs. Visual function is restored, as a rule, after 1-2 days.

Intracranial hypertension

Increased intracranial pressure is often accompanied by attacks of amblyopia, the duration of which varies from several seconds to several minutes. When studying the visual fields, an increase in the size of the blind spot is noted, as well as peripheral narrowing. Ophthalmoscopy reveals serious congestion, in some cases, hemorrhages occur in the area. In the future, the loss of vision is more persistent.

Psychogenic blindness

Psychogenic vision loss occurs more often in women who are prone to such disorders. Most often, patients also have other signs of mental disorders (pseudoparesis, pseudoataxia, etc.). Distinctive feature is the preservation of normal pupillary reactions and unchanged fundus. With other examination methods (EEG, evoked potentials, optokinetic), deviations are also not detected. This category of patients has high degree tolerance to sudden loss of vision.

For bilateral lesions visual function More often we are talking about various neurological abnormalities.

Sharp unilateral visual impairment (amaurosis, amblyopia)

Fracture of the base of the skull

With a skull injury in the area visual channel anosmia may be present, external visible damage, the optic disc often becomes pale. There are also radiological signs of bone defects.

Optic neuropathy

In arteriosclerotic optic neuropathy, the nature of the lesion is ischemic. In this case, a unilateral decrease in vision suddenly occurs, but pain does not develop. In some cases, the presence of precursors in the form of temporary visual impairment is characteristic. During the examination, pseudoedema of the optic nerve (disc) and pallor of the retina are revealed. With this disease, total blindness never occurs. Among the most common causes of ischemia are diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and hypertension.

Temporal arteritis

Temporal arteritis affects the arterial vessels, vessels of the head, and vessels of the eyes, causing blurred vision. The reasons for its development are not fully understood. Inflammation of the temporal artery often leads to complete loss of vision on one side. This diagnosis is more often given to older women. In addition to decreased vision, there is headache, and upon examination, you can identify a tense temporal artery, which is painful on palpation. Also present in the analyzes increase in ESR. Arteritis is usually a systemic pathology.

Amaurosis fugax

As a result of stenosis of the internal carotid artery in elderly patients, vision temporarily decreases sharply, which is caused by a transient change in the level of blood flow in the area of ​​the retina. In addition, with this disease there is a noise on auscultation in the projection of the artery, contralateral hemisymptoms and other signs. In this case, unilateral visual impairment occurs suddenly (within minutes or hours). The duration of blindness also varies, rarely exceeding several hours. At the same time, there is weakness in the limbs that are opposite to the source of the disease. An ophthalmological examination can reveal signs of atherosclerosis of the vessels located in.

The direct cause of the development of amavrosis fugax is usually (90%) embolism in the vessels. The source of the embolus is most often the damaged wall of the internal carotid artery on the ipsilateral side. Then, with the blood flow, the formation enters the artery of the eye. Due to impaired blood flow, ischemic damage to the retina occurs, which results in decreased vision. Due to the fact that thrombotic masses often undergo spontaneous resorption, symptoms are transient.
IN acute stage disease, the retinal artery appears collapsed, and fluorescent imaging reveals a thrombus located in the lumen of the vessel. This test is not performed often.

Interestingly, within a year after an attack of amavrosis fugax, a third of patients (30%) develop a disorder cerebral circulation. For a diagnostic search, Doppler ultrasonography is used, which allows you to confirm stenosis of the internal carotid artery.

Retrobulbar neuritis

This inflammation of the nerve tissue develops quite quickly. The peak of activity occurs, as a rule, in the first four days. Further pathological changes decrease and the patient's condition improves. In some cases, in addition to decreased vision, flickering in the eyes and pain in this area are associated. Most often, this condition occurs in young patients and is unilateral, but bilateral lesions also occur. Retrobulbar neuritis never causes complete blindness. In the early stages of inflammation, there are no changes in the fundus of the eye, with the most significant loss of vision observed in the central region. In most patients, this condition may be the first sign of multiple sclerosis, which is subsequently diagnosed in 17-85%.

In addition to multiple sclerosis, retrobulbar neuritis can be a manifestation of the demyelinating disease syphilis.

Eye pathologies

Among the diseases of the eye itself, the cause of decreased vision can be: retinal detachment, inflammation, hemorrhage into the substance and retina due to tuberculosis, blood diseases, syphilis (Iles syndrome), which is accompanied by signs of retinal perivasculitis.

Retinal migraine

Retinal migraine is characterized by monocular migraine, the appearance of which is associated with discirculatory disorders in the central retinal artery system. This form The disease sometimes alternates with ophthalmic migraine, as well as with paroxysms of migraine without aura.

Ophthalmic migraine

With ophthalmic migraine, headache attacks occur, which are accompanied by homonymous visual dysfunctions (sparks, zigzags, flashes, scotomas). About true vision loss in in this case there is no question.

Most people who naturally have good vision, are accustomed to taking this for granted, and in most cases they think little about the value of this possibility of the body. A person begins to truly appreciate vision only when the first encounter with the limitations that arise against the background of deteriorating vision occurs.

The fact of loss of a clear visual sense of touch leads to a temporary disorder of a person, but most often not for long. If at first the patient tries to take measures to preserve vision and prevent further loss of vision, then after correction with lenses or glasses, prevention stops.

As practice shows, only an expensive operation can force citizens to take prevention and measures aimed at maintaining the results achieved by the operation more seriously. So what are the reasons that lead to decreased vision, how can they be solved routinely, and when is emergency medical care required?

Variants of visual impairment:

color vision disorders;

pathologies of visual fields;

lack of binocular vision;

double vision;

decreased visual acuity;

Decreased visual acuity

The norm of visual acuity in children after five years of age and in adults should be 1.0. This indicator indicates that the human eye can clearly distinguish two points from a distance of 1.45 meters, provided that the person is looking at the points at an angle of 1/60 degree.

Loss of clarity of vision is possible with astigmatism, farsightedness, and myopia. These visual disturbances refer to the condition of ametropia, where the image begins to be projected outside the retina.

Myopia

Myopia, or myopia, is a vision condition where light rays project images to the retina. In this case, far vision deteriorates. Myopia is of two types: acquired and congenital (due to the elongation of the eyeball, in the presence of weakness of the oculomotor and ciliary muscles). Acquired myopia appears as a result of irrational visual stress (writing and reading in a lying position, failure to maintain a better visibility distance, frequent eye strain).

The main pathologies that lead to myopia are subluxation of the lens, as well as its sclerosis in older people, traumatic dislocations, increased thickness of the cornea, and spasm of accommodation. In addition, myopia may have a vascular origin. Mild myopia is considered to be up to -3, average degree ranges from -3.25 to -6. Any excess of the last indicator refers to severe myopia. Progressive myopia is myopia in which the numbers are constantly increasing. Growth occurs against the background of stretching in the eye rear camera. The main complication of severe myopia is divergent strabismus.

Farsightedness

Farsightedness is the lack of normal vision at close distances. Ophthalmologists call this disease hypermetropia. This means that the image is formed outside the retina.

Congenital farsightedness is caused by the small size of the eyeball in its longitudinal part and is of natural origin. As the child grows, this pathology may either disappear or persist. In case of insufficient curvature of the lens or cornea, abnormally small eye size.

Senile form (decrease in vision after 40 years) - against the background of a decrease in the ability of the lens to change its curvature. This process takes place in 2 stages: presbyopia (temporary from 30 to 45 years), and after that - permanent (after 50 years).

Deterioration of vision with age occurs due to the loss of the eye's ability to accommodate (the ability to adjust the curvature of the lens) and occurs after 65 years.

The cause of this problem is both the loss of elasticity of the lens and the inability of the ciliary muscle to bend the lens normally. In the early stages, presbyopia can be compensated for by bright lighting, but late stages complete visual impairment occurs. The first manifestations of the pathology are considered to be problems when reading small print from a distance of 25-30 centimeters; blurriness also appears when moving the gaze from distant objects to close ones. Hypermetropia may be complicated by increased intraocular pressure.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism can be explained in simple terms as differences in visual acuity vertically and horizontally. In this case, the projection of the point in the eye is displayed in the form of a figure eight or an ellipse. In addition to the blurriness of objects, astigmatism is characterized by their doubling and fatigue eye. It can also be combined with farsightedness or myopia, or even be of a mixed type.

Double vision

This condition is called diplopia. In the case of such a pathology, the object can double diagonally, vertically, horizontally, or rotate relative to each other. Guilty of such pathology oculomotor muscles, which work unsynchronized, respectively, both eyes cannot simultaneously concentrate on an object. Quite often, damage to muscles or nerves due to systemic diseases begins with the development of diplopia.

The classic cause of double vision is strabismus (divergent or convergent). In this case, a person cannot direct the central fovea of ​​the retina along a strict course.

A secondary picture that occurs quite often is alcohol poisoning. Ethanol can cause a disorder in the coordinated movements of the eye muscles.

Temporary double vision is often played out in cartoons and movies, when, after a blow to the head, the hero is faced with a moving picture.

Above are examples of diplopia for two eyes.

Double vision in one eye is also possible, and it develops in the presence of an overly convex cornea, subluxation of the lens, or damage to the calcarine sulcus in the occipital region of the cerebral cortex.

Binocular vision disorder

Stereoscopic vision allows a person to evaluate the size, shape, and volume of an object, increases the clarity of vision by 40% and significantly expands its field. Another very important property Stereoscopic vision is the ability to estimate distance. If there is a difference in the eyes of several diopters, then more weak eye The cerebral cortex begins to turn off forcibly, as it can cause diplopia.

First, binocular vision is lost, and then the weaker eye can become completely blind. In addition to farsightedness and nearsightedness with a large difference between the eyes, a similar situation can occur in the absence of astigmatism correction. It is the loss of the ability to estimate distance that forces many drivers to resort to spectacle correction or wearing contact lenses.

Most often, binocular vision is lost due to strabismus. It is worth noting that almost no one has an ideal balance between the position of the eyes, but given the fact that even in the presence of deviations in muscle tone, binocular vision can be preserved, correction in such cases is not required. But if vertical, divergent or convergent strabismus leads to loss of binocular vision, then it is necessary to perform surgical correction or use glasses.

Distortion of visual fields

The field of view is the part of the surrounding reality that is visible to the fixed eye. If we look at this property in spatial terms, it is more like a 3D hill, with the top in the clearest part. The deterioration along the slope is more pronounced towards the base of the nose and less along the temporal slope. The field of vision is limited by the anatomical protrusions of the facial bones of the skull, and at the optical level depends on the capabilities of the retina.

For white The normal field of vision is: outward - 90 degrees, downward - 65, upward - 50, inward - 55.

For one eye, the field of view is divided into four halves into two vertical and two horizontal halves.

The field of vision can change in the form of dark spots (scotomas), in the form of local (hemianopsia) or concentric narrowings.

Scotoma is a spot in the outlines of which visibility is completely absent, with absolute scotoma, or there is blurred visibility with relative scotoma. Also, scotomas can be of a mixed type with the presence of complete blackness inside and blurriness along the periphery. Positive scotomas manifest themselves in the form of symptoms, and negative ones can only be determined through examination.

Optic nerve atrophy - loss of visibility in the central part of the visual field indicates atrophy of the optic nerve (often age-related) or dystrophy of the retinal gall spot.

Retinal detachment - manifests itself as the presence of a curtain along the peripheral part of the field of view on any side. In addition, with retinal detachment, images may float and distortion of lines and shapes of objects may occur). The cause of retinal detachment may be retinal dystrophy, trauma, or a high degree of myopia.

Bilateral prolapse of the outer halves of the fields is a fairly common sign of pituitary adenoma, which interrupts the optic tract at the intersection.

With glaucoma, half of the fields, which are located closer to the nose, fall out. A symptom of this pathology may be fog in the eyes, a rainbow when looking at a bright light. The same loss can be observed in pathologies of optic fibers that are not crossed in the area of ​​decussation (aneurysm of the internal carotid artery).

Cross loss of parts of the fields is more often observed in the presence of hematomas, tumors, and inflammatory processes in the central nervous system. In addition, in addition to halves of the fields, quarters may also fall out (quadrant hemianopsia).

Loss in the form of a translucent curtain is a sign of changes in the transparency of the eye: vitreous, cornea, lens.

Retinal pigmentary degeneration - manifests itself in the form of tubular vision or concentric narrowing of the visual fields. At the same time, high acuity remains in the central part of the visual field, and the periphery practically disappears. If concentric vision develops evenly, the cause of such symptoms is most likely a cerebrovascular accident or glaucoma. Concentric narrowing is also characteristic of inflammation of the posterior retina (peripheral chorioretinitis).

Deviations in color perception

Temporary shifts relative to the perception of white - occur due to surgical intervention aimed at removing the lens affected by cataracts. Shifts may occur towards red, yellow, blue colors, respectively, white will have a reddish, yellowish, bluish tint, similar to an unadjusted monitor.

Color blindness is a congenital defect in distinguishing between green and red colors, which is not recognized by the patient himself. In most cases it is diagnosed in men.

After cataract surgery, there may be a change in the brightness of colors: red and yellow fade, and blue, on the contrary, becomes more saturated.

A shift in perception towards long waves (redness, yellowing of objects) may be a sign of optic nerve or retinal dystrophy.

• Discoloration of objects - in the late stages of macular degeneration, which no longer progresses.

Most often, color disturbance occurs in the central part of the visual field (about 10 degrees).

Blindness

Amorosis is atrophy of the optic nerve, complete retinal detachment, acquired or congenital absence of the eye.

Amblyopia - suppression of the previously seen eye by the cerebral cortex against the background of ophthalmoplegia, with severe drooping of the eyelid (ptosis), Benche and Kaufman syndromes, opacities of the media of the eyes, the presence big difference in eye diopters, strabismus.

Causes of decreased vision:

deviation in the cortical region;

damage to the optic nerve;

deviations in the retinal area;

muscle pathologies;

changes in the transparency of the lens, cornea, and vitreous body.

In a normal state, the transparent media of the eye are capable of refracting and transmitting light rays according to the principle of lenses. In the presence of pathological, dystrophic, autoimmune and infectious-inflammatory processes, the degree of transparency of the lenses is lost, and accordingly an obstacle appears in the path of light rays.

Pathologies of the lens, cornea

Keratitis

Inflammation of the cornea, or keratitis. Its bacterial form is quite often a complication of advanced conjunctivitis, or the result of infection during eye surgery. The most dangerous is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has repeatedly become the cause of mass keratitis in hospitals with insufficient antiseptics and asepsis.

The pathology is characterized by redness in the eye, pain, ulceration of the cornea, and clouding.

The presence of photophobia is characteristic.

Profuse lacrimation and decreased shine of the cornea until an opaque cataract appears.

More than 50% of keratins of viral origin fall on dendritic keratitis (derived from herpes). In this case, a damaged nerve trunk in the form of a tree branch is observed in the eye. A creeping corneal ulcer is the final stage of a herpetic lesion of the cornea, or its chronic injury from exposure to foreign bodies. Quite often, ulcers are formed due to amoebic keratitis, which most often develops due to poor hygiene when using contact lenses and the use of low-quality lenses.

When the eye gets burned from welding or the sun, photokeratitis develops. In addition to ulcerative keratitis, there is also non-ulcerative keratitis. The pathology can be deep, or affect only the superficial layers of the cornea.

Cloudiness of the cornea is the result of dystrophy, or inflammation, and the cataract is a scar. Cloudiness in the form of spots or clouds reduces visual acuity and can cause astigmatism. In the presence of a cataract, vision may be limited to the limits of light perception.

Cataract

Cloudiness of the lens in ophthalmology is called cataract. In this case, the lens loses transparency and elasticity, destruction of structural proteins occurs, and metabolic disorders occur. Congenital cataracts are the result genetic pathology or intrauterine influence on the fetus of toxic, autoimmune and viral factors.

The acquired form of the disease is the result of poisoning with mercury vapor, trinitrotoluene, thallium, naphthalene, radiation exposure, chemical or mechanical injury lens, or its age-related degeneration. Posterior capsular cataract appears after 60 years - occurs quick loss vision, nuclear provokes an increase in the degree of myopia, and age-related cortical leads to blurred images.

Vitreous opacification

Destruction, or clouding of the vitreous body, is perceived by the patient as dots or threads that float before the eyes when the gaze moves. This manifestation is a consequence of thickening and subsequent loss of transparency of the individual fibers that make up the vitreous body. Such thickenings occur as a result of arterial hypertension, or age-related dystrophy, and may also be caused by vascular pathologies, glucocorticoid therapy, hormonal changes, diabetes. Cloudiness is perceived by the brain in the form of complex (plates, balls, cobwebs), or simple figures. In some cases, degenerated areas can be perceived by the retina, in which case flashes occur in the eyes.

Muscle pathologies

Vision directly depends on the functioning of the oculomotor and ciliary muscles. Malfunctions in their operation can also lead to visual impairment. Six muscles provide the full range of eye movements. Stimulation of these muscles is provided by 3, 4, 6 pairs of cranial nerves.

Ciliary muscle

The ciliary muscle is responsible for the curvature of the lens, takes part in the outflow of intraocular fluid, and also stimulates the blood supply to the parts of the eye. Muscle function is impaired due to vascular spasm, which occurs in the vertebrobasilar region of the brain, hypothalamic syndrome, scoliosis of the spine and other causes that cause disturbances in blood flow to the brain. The cause of the development of this pathology may be traumatic brain injury. Initially, a spasm of accommodation appears, and then myopia develops. Some domestic ophthalmologists in their works identified and described the dependence of acquired myopia in infants due to injuries cervical region the fetal spine at the time of birth.

Oculomotor muscles and nerves

The oculomotor nerves not only provide stimulation to the muscles that control the eyeball, but also regulate the muscles responsible for the dilation and constriction of the pupil, as well as the levator muscle. upper eyelid. Most often, nerve damage occurs due to microinfarction caused by hypertension and diabetes. Damage to all nerve fibers is accompanied by the following symptoms: restriction of eye movement down, up, inward, poor vision due to accommodation paralysis, dilation of the pupil regardless of the reaction to light, drooping of the eyelid, double vision, divergent strabismus. Often, during strokes, the program of pathological syndromes (Benedict, Claude, Weber) includes nerve damage.

Damage to the abducens nerve

Damage to the abducens nerve makes it difficult to move the eye to the side. Such damage may be caused by: vascular infarction due to diabetes mellitus, or arterial hypertension, stroke, multiple sclerosis, central nervous system tumors, complications of otitis, intracranial hypertension, head trauma, pituitary tumor, nasopharyngeal cancer, carotid aneurysm, meningioma. The patient suffers from horizontal double vision, which intensifies when the gaze shifts towards the lesion. In children, congenital lesions of the abducens nerve are included in the Duane and Moebius syndrome program.

When the trochlear nerve is damaged, double vision appears in the oblique, or vertical planes. It gets worse when you try to look down. The head is quite often in a forced position. The most common causes of nerve damage are traumatic brain injury, myasthenia gravis, and microinfarction of the nerve.

Retinal pathologies

Retinal detachment (traumatic, degenerative, idiopathic) is formed at the site of membrane ruptures that occur against the background of an intraocular tumor, trauma, myopia, or diabetic retinopathy. Quite often, retinal detachment occurs following clouding of the vitreous, pulling it along with it.

Vitelline degeneration, punctate degeneration, gall spot dystrophy are hereditary pathologies that should be considered when vision loss occurs in a preschool child.

Severe retinal dystrophy, which is typical for people over 60 years of age.

Strandberg-Grönblad syndrome is a formation located in the retina of stripes that resemble blood vessels and replace the rods and cones.

Angioma is a tumor on the retinal vessels that occurs at a young age. Such tumors cause retinal detachment, or retinal tears.

Coats' retinitis (varicose veins of the retina) is an enlargement of the veins that leads to hemorrhages.

Discoloration of the iris and pink color of the fundus associated with underdevelopment of the pigment layer of the retinal membrane (albinism).

Central artery embolism, or retinal thrombosis, can cause sudden blindness.

Malignant tumor of the retina diffuse type– retinoblastoma.

Uveitis is an inflammation of the retina that can cause not only clouding, but also sparks and flashes in the field of vision. Distortions in the sizes, outlines and shapes of objects may also be observed. In some cases, night blindness develops.

Signs of optic nerve pathologies

If the nerve is completely ruptured, the eye on the affected side will go blind. The pupil narrows, there is no reaction to light. Constriction of the pupil may be observed, provided that the healthy eye is exposed to light.

If only part of the nerve fibers are affected, decreased vision or periodic loss in the visual fields may occur.

Most often, nerve damage occurs due to toxic lesions, tumors, vascular diseases, and injuries.

Nerve anomalies – double nerve disc, hamartoma, colomboma.

Disc atrophy occurs most often against the background of neurosyphilis, trauma, ischemia, multiple sclerosis, after meningoencephalitis and leads to a narrowing of the visual fields and a general deterioration of vision that cannot be corrected.

Temporary loss of vision

Eye fatigue

Most trivial reason decreased vision is due to eye fatigue, which in ophthalmology is called asthenopia. Fatigue occurs due to prolonged irrational strain on the eyes (driving a car at night, reading in low light, watching TV for many hours, or working in front of a computer monitor). In this case, the eye muscles become overstrained, causing pain and lacrimation. It becomes difficult for a person to concentrate on small details, font, and a feeling of veil and cloudiness may appear before the eyes. Quite often these symptoms are accompanied by a headache.

False myopia

False myopia, or spasm of accommodation, most often develops in adolescents and children. Clinical picture This disease is similar to asthenopia. However, transient vision impairment in the distance or near develops due to spasm of the ciliary muscle from overwork. As described above, this muscle functions to change the curvature of the lens.

Hemeralopia and nyctalopia - “night blindness”

A significant decrease in vision at dusk, which develops against the background of a deficiency of vitamins, which belong to groups B, PP, A. This disease is popularly called “night blindness”, and in ophthalmology – hemeralopia and nyctalopia. In this case, twilight vision suffers. In addition to the presence of hypovitaminosis, night blindness can develop against the background of pathologies of the optic nerve and retina. The disease can also be congenital. The pathology manifests itself as a narrowing of the visual field, a violation of spatial orientation, a deterioration in color perception, and a decrease in visual acuity.

Vasospasm

Transient impairment of visual acuity may indicate the presence of vascular spasm in the brain or retina. Such situations are associated with chronic cerebral circulatory disorders (against the background of venous hypertension, vasculitis, vascular anomalies, blood diseases, cerebral amyloidosis, syndrome vertebral artery, atherosclerosis), hypertensive crises (sharp jumps blood pressure). In such cases, there is darkening in the eyes, “spots” in front of the eyes, and blurred vision. Combined symptoms, blurred vision and dizziness, loss of hearing and vision may appear.

Migraine

A migraine attack quite often comes in combination with darkening of the eyes, which develops against the background of severe vascular spasm. Quite often, such headaches are accompanied by the appearance of scotomas, or aura.

Intraocular pressure

Normally, the pressure inside the eye ranges from 9 to 22 mm. Hg Art., however, during an attack of glaucoma it can rise to 50-70, and sometimes higher. A sharp headache appears that spreads to half the head and eyes, provided that the pathology is present on one side, but if the glaucoma is bilateral, then the whole head hurts. The pain is accompanied by dark spots before the eyes, rainbow circles and blurred vision. Join quite often autonomic disorders(heart pain, vomiting, nausea).

Medicines

Impact medicines may cause transient myopia. Such manifestations are observed when taking high doses sulfonamides.

Sudden deterioration of vision

The most common causes of sudden irreparable loss of vision are eye injuries, retinal detachment, brain tumors, and strokes.

Reversible vision loss

If we talk about acute reversible loss of vision in both eyes, then in most cases the cause is similar symptoms is oxygen deficiency of the visual cortex (ischemic stroke of the posterior cerebral artery, ischemic attack against the background chronic disorder cerebral circulation), as well as during a severe migraine attack. In this case, in addition to loss of vision, color vision disorder and headache are observed.

A fairly rare form of reversible vision loss is postpartum blindness, which develops against the background of embolism of the posterior cerebral artery.

Ischemic optic neuropathy most often develops after significant blood loss due to surgery or injury if there is a sharp drop in blood pressure.

In case of poisoning with methyl alcohol, quinine, chloroquine and phenothiazine derivatives, bilateral vision loss may develop, which occurs in the first day after poisoning. About 85% of patients recover; the rest remain completely or partially blind.

There are also familial forms of temporary blindness of up to 20 seconds, which occur with sudden changes in lighting.

Permanent vision loss

Sudden vision loss in one eye is most consistent with retinal artery occlusion, or thrombosis central vein, as well as retinal dissection.

If vision loss occurs due to a head injury, it is necessary to exclude a fracture of the skull bones, which can damage the walls of the optic nerve canal. Therapy in this case consists of emergency decompression through surgery.

Increased intraocular pressure may be accompanied by tightness of the eyeball, pain in the abdomen, heart, head, loss of vision, and redness of the eye.

Also, ischemic neuropathy may be the cause of irreversible sudden loss of vision. optic nerve, which develops against the background of occlusion back wall ciliary artery and temporal arteritis. Also, a symptom of this pathology may be prolonged pain in the temporal part of the head, increased ESR, lack of appetite, and joint pain.

An ischemic stroke can cause the eye to become blind.

The cause of a sharp drop in vision can only be determined by an ophthalmologist together with a neurologist, since vascular pathologies most often lead to a sharp loss of vision.

Diagnostics

In order to obtain complete information about the condition of the eye, ophthalmologists today have a huge range of diagnostic capabilities at their disposal. Great amount research refers to hardware methods. During the examination we usually use:

measuring the productivity of the lacrimal gland;

determination of the corneal profile, or computer keratotopography;

pachymetry (measurement of the angle of curvature and thickness of the cornea);

determination of eye length (echobiometry);

biomicroscopy;

fundus examination combined with examination of the optic disc;

visual field testing;

measurement of intraocular pressure;

determination of the refractive capabilities of the eye;

measurement of visual acuity;

Ultrasound of the eye.

Treatment of vision loss

Most often, in the presence of vision problems, conservative correction is used, as well as surgical treatment.

Conservative treatment

Conservative therapy involves correction using massage and eye exercises, hardware techniques, contact lenses and, most often, glasses. In the presence of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies, vitamins are administered.

Spectacle correction allows you to correct complex disorders vision (astigmatism paired with hyperopia, myopia), farsightedness, myopia with retinal detachment, reduce the risk of strabismus. Wearing glasses slightly limits the field of view and creates certain inconveniences when playing sports, but given the effectiveness of their use, these disadvantages are eliminated.

People who make money from their appearance resort to wearing lenses. The main complaint Correction with lenses requires difficult hygiene. This increases the risk of developing protozoans and bacterial complications, and also the air circulation in the eye is disrupted. It is worth noting that modern ophthalmology allows you to purchase the latest breathable lenses.

Massage and gymnastics help normalize and restore blood flow to the eye structures and relax the eye muscles. This therapy is effective in the early stages of pathologies.

Hardware techniques – classes on special installations that train the eyes, carried out with or without glasses. The presence of an instructor is required.

Surgical treatment

Cataracts today can be successfully treated only with complete replacement of the pathological lens.

Vascular and tumor processes They can also only be corrected through surgery.

Partial retinal detachment and rupture are treated with laser welding.

The PRK method is the very first method laser correction cornea. This method is accompanied by significant trauma and requires a long recovery period. In addition, it is contraindicated simultaneous use method for treating both eyes.

Today, lasers are also used for vision correction (astigmatism within 3 diopters, myopia within 15, farsightedness within 4). The laser keratomileusis method combines laser beams and mechanical keratoplasty. A keratome is used to detach the corneal flap and correct the profile using a laser. As a result of these manipulations, the cornea becomes thinner. The flap is soldered into place with the same laser. The Super-LASIK method is one of the surgical options during which the cornea is polished. Epi-LASIK corrects vision aberrations by staining the corneal epithelium with alcohol. FEMTO-LASIK is the formation of a corneal flap and its subsequent laser treatment.

Laser correction has many advantages. It is painless, has a short recovery period, requires little time, and leaves no stitches. However, there are complications that can develop against the background of laser correction, these are: corneal growth, excessive compression of the corneal epithelium, inflammation of the cornea, dry eye syndrome.

Operational laser treatment has a number of contraindications. It is not performed on children under 18 years of age, breastfeeding women, or pregnant women. This technique cannot be used for herpes, operated retinal detachment, progression of myopia, immunodeficiency, cataracts, autoimmune pathologies, insufficient corneal thickness, glaucoma, or in a single eye.

Thus, the problems of decreased vision are very diverse, quite often progress and can lead to complete loss of vision. Therefore, only timely diagnosis and correction can protect against the development of a significant decrease in vision, or its complete loss.

Deterioration of vision is a problem that many people face with age or after heavy strain on the eyes. However, you should not be afraid of it, because in the vast majority of cases this phenomenon can be corrected and very well. In order for you to know what steps you can take if you discover such an unpleasant fact, let's look at the reasons, as well as methods of dealing with the main symptom.

Causes of eye diseases

There are at least a dozen reasons why people experience certain vision problems, and in each case they are individual. The most significant Among them are:

1. Genetic characteristics (predisposition to certain diseases).
2. Increased load on the visual organs.
3. Rough.
4. Past infectious diseases.
5. Endocrine diseases, including diabetes.
6. Circulatory disorders.
7. Pathologies of spinal development.
8. , chemical and radiation exposure.
9. Age-related diseases.

Also, in addition to the main causes of vision loss, there are additional accompanying factors that stimulate this process. Among them, doctors name a decrease in human immunity, lack of vitamins in the body, lack of sleep, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption.

A wide range of factors influencing the acuity of our vision suggests that, to one degree or another, every person is at risk of partial or complete loss of vision.

In order to avoid such an outcome, it is very important to carry out comprehensive prevention eye diseases.

Prevention

Knowing the reasons for vision deterioration, it is not difficult to determine those preventive measures which are necessary for its restoration. These include:

1. Quitting bad habits, including smoking and alcohol.
2. Regular visits to the ophthalmologist for timely detection and treatment of any ailments (you must remember that in the early stages almost all of them can be completely cured with medication, which is practically unavailable in the later stages).
3. Protects eyes from chemical exposure and UV radiation.
4. Compliance with recommendations for visual hygiene, including ensuring the proper level of lighting at home and in the office, as well as working at the computer.
5. Active sports that improve blood circulation and metabolism.
6. Regular exposure to fresh air.
7. Homemade herbal baths and lotions.

All these methods are quite effective in each specific case, therefore they should in no case be ignored or considered primitive and outdated.

By using them regularly, you will be able to avoid serious illnesses and even improve your current level of visual acuity.

What to do if your vision has decreased

If you notice even minor symptoms of decreased vision, you should consult a doctor immediately. At your request, the ophthalmologist is obliged to conduct a comprehensive eye examination, study the conditions of your work and life, establish the reason for the loss of vision, and also prescribe a correction adequate to your case. If you take such measures in a timely manner, it is quite possible that you will be able to identify certain complex ailments in the early stages and cure them in time, thus avoiding loss of vision. If the specialist does not find any serious illnesses in you, he will be able to select for you individual vision prevention method, using which you will be able to relieve this symptom and return to normal life.

Many people, with a slight deterioration in their vision, do not see the point of seeing a doctor and try to solve the problem using traditional methods, or completely ignore it.

Both the first and second options are not correct. The fact is that without a full diagnosis it is very difficult to establish the real reason loss of vision, therefore it is impossible to adequately treat it. This approach, as well as ignoring the problem, can lead to complications and other unpleasant consequences.

What diseases can this factor be a symptom of?

In addition to the main vision pathologies, including myopia, (all of which are accompanied by a decrease in visual acuity), this symptom is also characteristic of a number of other ailments, including:

• Intracranial pressure disorders caused by circulatory problems.
• Venereal diseases.
• Infectious diseases.

With such ailments, damage to the centers of the nervous system can occur, which is why the vision of patients decreases.

Normal and diseased eye

Precisely because, if you have never complained about the health of your eyes before, needs to be addressed Special attention for this symptom and consult a doctor immediately. You may need diagnosis from other specialists: a neurologist, cardiologist, therapist, but it will give you the opportunity to get the most complete picture of the disease and overcome it faster.

Modern restoration methods

Nowadays, ophthalmology has dozens of effective methods that allow you to cope with eye diseases, regardless of their causes and general symptoms. Full recovery visual acuity carried out using:

• surgical treatment (especially for cataracts);
• drug therapy;
• correction using night lenses (for mild myopia and farsightedness).

Also important are contact lenses various optical power, which can be soft, hard, gas-permeable. Selected for each patient individually.

Prescribing any of the above correction methods is possible only after a full diagnosis by a specialist.

It is highly discouraged to make your own decision on the selection of one or another remedy to eliminate vision defects, since they may not only not give good result, but also aggravate the problem if selected incorrectly.

Regardless of whether you currently have diagnosed vision diseases or not, you must make every effort to avoid their occurrence in the future and help the body recover normal condition eye now. For this it is vital to do general recommendations for vision care. They are common to all patients. These measures will be discussed below.

Traditional medicine (diet, diet, vitamins)

Almost everything traditional methods combating vision pathologies are aimed primarily at restoration of natural metabolic processes by saturating the body with additional vitamins and minerals.

They may include:

• Diet correction with the addition of carrots (contains vitamin A), blueberries, citrus fruits, dried fruits, beets. also in mandatory Dairy products are added to it to saturate it with essential minerals.
• The use of various infusions. For example, mistletoe (glaucoma treatment), as well as eyebright (for various types pathologies).
• Using various oils for eye massage, including geranium oil, burdock oil and other similar ones to which a person is not allergic. Such products also contain wide range vitamins, therefore they can have an extremely positive effect on the condition of your eyes.
• As local funds these methods also include medicinal compresses based on a decoction of chamomile and other herbs. In preventive measures, it is enough to carry them out twice a week.

It is extremely important to use traditional medicine methods to restore visual acuity as preventative measures. However, when serious illnesses, including glaucoma and cataracts, it is not recommended to base treatment on them alone. This may have unpleasant consequences for Your health.

Eye exercise

Exists when various diseases eye exercises, the daily implementation of which can have a good therapeutic effect and even increase your visual acuity. They are aimed at solution various problems vision and allow:

• Improve eye blood circulation(exercise “curtains”);
• Train accommodation(all exercises aimed at consistently focusing vision on close and distant objects);
• Relax your eye muscles(exercise “butterfly”).

Set of exercises

Harmonious exercise for your eyes should consist of several different types of exercises.

For getting maximum effect from it, it is recommended to perform exercises 2 times a day at the same time.

Within a month, if you perform the exercises correctly, you can get the first result.

Video

Video about how to restore vision.

conclusions

As we see, both in medical and folk practice there is a mass effective recipes that can save a person from vision problems. And, unfortunately, no one is safe from them, but there are effective methods although not preventing, but slowing down the process of vision loss. This is also an eye exercise, about which it is written in more detail, and, and ethnoscience. All that is needed to cure such ailments is to pay attention to the problem in a timely manner and begin to address it. effective treatment. In this case, you will definitely achieve positive results in this matter.

It is believed that young people have better vision than old people, however, in fact, many people already after 25 feel a decline in vision. And how many children are forced to wear glasses already from school! Let's figure out why vision declines. Once we know the reasons, we may be able to take action to solve the problem.

Vision does not always drop sharply - it’s just that from year to year a person notices that he cannot distinguish the number of an approaching tram, and a year later he finds it difficult to get a thread in eye of a needle, later realizes that newspaper font is now inaccessible without a magnifying glass. Doctors note that visual impairment has become a fairly “young” problem in the last 200 years. It is in developed countries that they observe a sharp increase farsightedness and myopia in middle-aged and older people. The number of cataract diseases, leading to complete loss of vision, is also growing.

On the surface of the iceberg, the reasons are obvious: computers, televisions and other modern “delights” that kill vision. Age-related changes cannot be discounted either. But why doesn’t everyone lose their vision to the same extent? After all, almost all residents of developed countries use computers and gadgets every day. Not to mention the 24/7 TV available. It turns out that the root of the problem is the innate state of the optics of the eye. Optical axis impairment progresses over the years, making some people nearsighted and others farsighted, depending on the initial condition.

We see thanks to the inner layer of the eye - the retina, which receives and reproduces light. If the retina is destroyed, we will go blind. For normal vision, the retina must collect all the rays of light, and for the picture to be clear, the lens provides precise focusing. It is in perfect condition. If the eye muscles are tense, the lens becomes more convex when an object approaches. Trying to see something in the distance relaxes the muscles, and the lens of the eye aligns.

Causes of visual impairment:

• astigmatism;
• myopia;
• farsightedness.

If the optical axis becomes longer, this is myopia. When the optical axis is shortened, farsightedness appears. A violation in the outlines of the corneal sphere is called astigmatism and consists of distorted focusing of the image visible to a person. A child’s visual organs change during growth and development, which is why congenital defects of the cornea and optical axis progress over the years.

The cause of a decrease in visual acuity and clarity may be vertebral injuries and osteochondrosis affecting the spinal cord. After all, the parts of the brain and brain also take part in the act of vision. spinal cord. To prevent disorders, doctors prescribe sets of exercises that train the cervical areas of the spine.

In addition to the above, the reasons for visual impairment are: general fatigue chronic, overwork, constant stress, wear and tear on the body. The brain reports critical situation through redness, burning and watery eyes. To eliminate short-term blurred vision due to fatigue, you need to get a good night's sleep, give your body rest and perform exercises to relieve stress from your visual organs.

The clarity of vision is affected by environmental factors, such as increased pollution of certain areas of residence. To cleanse the body, you should pay attention to healthy eating, taking vitamins and regular exercise. Bad habits impair blood circulation, depriving the eye of nutrition, including the retina, causing blurred vision. Smoking and drinking alcohol impair vision.

How does vision deterioration occur?

Vision may deteriorate suddenly or slowly and gradually. A sharp deterioration is an emergency reason to consult a doctor. After all, such a condition can be associated with a mini-stroke, brain damage or due to injury. For many, the membrane of the eyeball becomes weak, no longer retaining its elasticity. round shape. Thus, the focusing of the visible image on the retina is disrupted, which manifests itself in deterioration of vision.

Poor vision in a child

A child's poor vision may be genetic, acquired as a result of birth trauma, or due to infectious diseases mothers during pregnancy. Because of poor eyesight a child may be developmentally delayed because he does not receive enough information about the world around him due to the limitations of one of his senses.

Diagnosis and treatment of poor vision

Regular visits to an ophthalmologist from an early age can prevent vision deterioration. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more effective and simpler the treatment will be. It is more difficult for a child over 12 years old to restore vision than by treating a 3-7 year old child. During the examination, the ophthalmologist alternately checks the ability of the eyes to see objects at a distance, perceive bright light, track movement, etc.

Treatment methods:

• prevention;
• eye exercises;
• correction with glasses and lenses;
• surgical intervention.

Texts of business papers, a computer screen, and in the evening the “blue light” of the TV - with such a load, few people’s vision does not deteriorate. Is it possible to stop this process? Experts believe: a lot depends on ourselves.

Why does vision weaken? Reason 1

Lack of work of the eye muscles. The image of objects we see depends on the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye, and also on changes in the curvature of the lens, a special lens inside the eye that ciliary muscles are forced to become either more convex or flatter, depending on the distance to the object. If you constantly focus on the text of a book or a computer screen, the muscles that control the lens will become sluggish and weak. Like any muscle that doesn't have to work, it loses its shape.

Conclusion. In order not to lose the ability to see well far and near, you need to train the eye muscles by regularly performing the following exercise: concentrating your gaze either on distant or close objects.

Reason 2

Aging of the retina. The cells in the retina contain the light-sensitive pigment with which we see. With age, this pigment is destroyed and visual acuity decreases.

Conclusion. To slow down the aging process, you need to regularly eat foods containing vitamin A - carrots, milk, meat, fish, eggs. Vitamin A is only soluble in fat, so carrot salad It’s better to add sour cream or sunflower oil. You should not completely avoid fatty meats and fish. And it’s better to drink not only skim milk. A special substance that restores visual pigment is found in fresh blueberries. Try to treat yourself to these berries in the summer and stock up for the winter.

Reason 3

Poor circulation. Nutrition and respiration of all body cells is carried out with the help of blood vessels. The retina of the eye is a very delicate organ; it suffers at the slightest circulatory disturbance. It is these disorders that ophthalmologists try to see when they examine the fundus of the eye.

Conclusion. Get checked regularly by an ophthalmologist. Retinal circulatory disorders lead to serious illnesses. If you are predisposed to this, your doctor will prescribe you medications that improve the condition of blood vessels. There are also special diets, which allow you to maintain blood circulation in good condition. In addition, you need to take care of your blood vessels: a long stay in a steam room or sauna, procedures in a pressure chamber, pressure changes are not for you.

Reason 4

Eye-strain. Retinal cells suffer as if too much bright light, and from tension in insufficient lighting.

Conclusion. To protect your light-sensitive cells, you need to protect your eyes from too bright light. sunglasses, and also do not try to look at small objects or read in low light. It is very harmful to read in transport - uneven light and swaying have a bad effect on vision.

Reason 5

Dryness of the mucous membrane of the eye. For clarity of vision, the cleanliness of the transparent shells through which the beam of light reflected from objects passes is also very important. They are washed with special moisture, so we see worse when our eyes are dry.

Conclusion. It's good to cry a little for visual acuity. And if you can’t cry, special eye drops are suitable, the composition is close to tears.

The main enemy is the screen

Working with a computer puts extra strain on your eyes, and it's not just about the text. The human eye is in many ways similar to a camera. To take a clear “snapshot” of the image on the screen, which consists of flickering dots, it needs to constantly change focus. This setup requires a lot of energy and increased consumption the main visual pigment is rhodopsin. Myopic people spend more of this enzyme than those who see normally. Therefore, a situation arises that is extremely unfavorable for your eyes.

It is not surprising that myopia begins to increase as a result. At the same time, a feeling of depth in the visible image is created on the computer screen, which is especially dangerous. Why are myopia very rare among artists? Because they constantly train their eyes, looking from a sheet of paper or canvas to distant objects. Therefore, when working with a computer, one should not forget about the safety rules that are required when working with text.

Specialists from the Moscow Research Institute of Eye Diseases named after. Helmholtz believes that “computer glasses” equipped with special filters that bring the color characteristics of monitors closer to the spectral sensitivity of the human eye can be very useful. They can be with or without diopters. Eyes armed with such glasses tire significantly less.

Also useful for eye training next appointment. Taking the printed text in your hands, slowly bring it closer to your eyes until the outlines of the letters lose their clarity. The inner eye muscles tense. When the text is gradually moved to arm's length, without ceasing to look at it, they relax. The exercise is repeated for 2-3 minutes.

Candidate of Medical Sciences Alexander Mikhelashvili advises to be especially attentive to the eyes during the period when long weeks of “light starvation” have depleted our reserves of visual strength, and new strength has not yet been developed due to spring vitamin deficiency. At this time, the retina of the eye especially needs nutrition, because it has to spend significantly more visual pigment than usual. Blueberry preparations will come to the rescue in this case, which, by the way (only in the form of jam), was given to pilots of the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War to improve vision during night flights.

Gymnastics for the eyes

1. Close your eyes tightly and open your eyes wide. Repeat 5-6 times at intervals of 30 seconds.

2. Look up, down, to the sides, without rotating your head, 3 times with an interval of 1-2 minutes. Do the same with your eyes closed.

3. Rotate eyeballs in a circle: down, right, up, left and in the opposite direction. Repeat 3 times with an interval of 1-2 minutes.

Do the same with your eyes closed.

4. Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds, then open them for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 6-8 times.

5. Blink rapidly for a minute.

6. It is also useful to hang a bright calendar, photograph or painting at a distance of 1-2 m from the desktop (this place should be well lit) so that during classes you can look at it from time to time.

7. Extend your hand in front of you and look at the tip of your finger at a distance of 20-30 cm for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 10-12 times.

8. This exercise also has a good effect on the eyes: standing near the window, look for some point or scratch on the glass (you can glue small circle dark plaster), then look, for example, at the television antenna of a neighboring house or the branch of a tree growing in the distance.

By the way

In order for the text to cause minimal “harm” to the eyes, the distance from the eyes to the paper with a straight back should be about 30 cm, and it is better if the book or notebook is located at a right angle to the gaze, that is, the surface of the table should be slightly inclined, like a desk.