What do visual fields show? Causes and diagnosis of narrowing of visual fields. Complete loss of vision

Loss of visual fields appears as a result of exposure to various factors or diseases that lead to damage nerve fibers or light-sensitive cells in the retina. In this case, local dark spots and a concentric decrease in the area of normal vision are distinguished. If the violations are minor, then the patient does not make any complaints, and the disease is discovered by chance.

The disease is more common in women.

Causes of pathology

Visual field loss can be caused by the following factors affecting the human body:

hemorrhages into the nervous tissue;
long-term oxygen starvation neurons;
head injuries;
transient disorders of blood supply to the brain;
neoplasms;
hereditary predisposition;
hydrocephalus;
cerebral edema;
migraine;
epileptic seizures;
hysteria;
glaucoma;
optic nerve atrophy;
chromosomal abnormalities;
neurodegenerative disorders;
multiple sclerosis;
hypertonic disease;
pituitary adenoma;
atherosclerosis.

Diseases that cause this process

Decreased peripheral vision may indicate the development of glaucoma.

Narrowing or loss of visual fields is associated with the development of the following ophthalmological diseases in the patient:

Glaucoma. With this pathology, there is a gradual loss of peripheral vision, most often bilateral. This significantly increases intraocular pressure. The pathology is caused by ischemia of nerve fibers by swollen tissues eyeball. Over time, glaucoma causes complete loss of vision in both eyes.
Hemianopsia. The visual field decreases by a quarter or half the size on the inside or outside of the eye. An important point is the symmetry of the lesion of the right and left eyeball. The disease develops due to damage to nerve fibers at the level of the optic chiasm and affects the neurons of both analyzers.
Scotomas. They are characterized by the appearance in the field of view of areas with dark spots against the background of a normal image. The causes of this disease are associated with a disorder in the functioning of the light-sensitive cells of the retina.

The following diseases can cause a narrowing of the field of vision of one or both eyes:

meningitis;
infectious brain damage;
tumor of the pituitary gland or other area of the head;
carotid artery aneurysm.

Varieties

The pathology may be neuralgic in nature.

Depending on the characteristics of the vision of the surrounding world, the following types of disease are distinguished:

concentric narrowing of fields;
loss of half the field, which is often symmetrical;
local areas of vision loss.

In the first type, the cause of the pathology is primarily a violation of the functional activity of nerve fibers. In this case, the field of vision is significantly narrowed, and lateral vision is practically absent. When local scotomas are determined, individual asymmetrical areas fall out central vision. The cause of this pathology is damage to the retina or individual fibers of the optic nerve.

Local dark spots appear mainly on one eye.

Main symptoms

The image becomes fuzzy and blurry.

Pathologies of the visual field cause the patient to develop the following clinical signs:

disappearance of image elements;
the appearance of fog or haze;
dark spots;
rainbow halo on lighting elements;
headache;
irritability;
impaired concentration;
balance problems;
dizziness;
pressure in the eyeballs;
the appearance of sparks and flickers.

Diagnostics

A diagnosis can be made after asking the patient about his complaints. It is also important to conduct computer perimetry, which helps examine the visual fields. It is recommended to check the blood supply to the brain and the condition of the vessels supplying the eyes. In addition, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are performed to detect organic pathology or consequences of a head injury. It is necessary to pass the general and biochemical analysis blood and examine the condition of the fundus using viziometry. The ability of optical nerve fibers to conduct impulses is also checked.

Field of view called a segment of space visible to the eye when fixing the gaze on a fixed point.

Narrowing of visual fields: reasons

The nature of visual field loss depends on the cause that causes it. The most common cause is diseases of the light-receiving apparatus of the eye. If the loss of the visual field looks like a curtain on any side, the cause is either retinal detachment or a disease of the visual system pathways.

With glaucoma, the patient experiences a deterioration in the visual field - a gradual narrowing of the visual field, first from the side of the nose, then from the central part (concentric narrowing of the visual field). Although the visual field is reduced in many neurological diseases, this symptom quite typical for glaucoma.

Concentric narrowing of visual fields

Concentric narrowing of visual fields(tube vision) is most often a consequence of a special form of retinal dystrophy - its pigmentary degeneration, while it is enough long time high central visual acuity is maintained. Advanced glaucoma can also cause a concentric narrowing of the visual field, but with it the acuity of central vision suffers much earlier. IN Everyday life a concentric narrowing of the visual field manifests itself as follows: a person approaches the door, takes out the key and searches for the keyhole for a long time... Such people become almost helpless in an unfamiliar environment; they need a lot of time to familiarize themselves with it. For sclerosis cerebral vessels with eating disorders visual center In the cerebral cortex, a concentric narrowing of the visual field can also be observed, but it is more often accompanied by a significant decrease in the acuity of central vision, forgetfulness, and dizziness.

Any visual impairment is a serious reason to seek medical help. In no case should they be ignored, because such symptoms can indicate a variety of problems. Thus, loss of visual fields is considered to be a rather serious manifestation; in this pathological condition, the patient does not fixate certain objects on the retina of the eye, as if falling out. This violation difficult to treat, so it needs to be diagnosed and corrected in time. Let's talk on the www.site about why loss of visual fields can happen, consider the reasons for such a disorder, its symptoms, as well as possible treatment.

Reasons why visual field loss occurs, symptoms

The term visual field refers to a certain segment of space that is visible to a person while fixating his gaze on a fixed point. The nature of the problem depends directly on the reason that caused such a violation.

So, if the loss of the visual field looks like a curtain, the disorder arose due to retinal detachment or a disease of the pathways of the visual system.

If a person has a retinal detachment, he will also be concerned about shape distortion and broken lines. And the area of loss of the visual field may have different size depending on the time of day. The image may seem to float. Retinal detachment can develop due to high degree, as well as due to retinal dystrophy and due to previous eye trauma.

If the loss of the visual field looks like a dense or translucent curtain from the nose, it may well be a symptom of glaucoma. In this case, the patient may see the world at times as if in a fog, and when looking at a light bulb, he may notice colored rainbow circles.

Also, loss of the visual field in the form of a translucent curtain can be provoked by clouding of the optical media of the eyes, including cataracts and cataracts, as well as pterygium and clouding vitreous.

In the event that there is a loss of the visual field in the center, most likely we are talking about macular degeneration - a malnutrition of the central zone of the retina, or partial atrophy optic nerve. With macular degeneration, the patient is also concerned about the distortion of the shape of objects, some curvature of lines, as well as a noticeable change in the size of individual sections of the image.

In the event that all peripheral fields fall out and vision becomes tubular, the problem most likely lies in a special form of retinal dystrophy, namely its pigmentary degeneration. In this case, the patient can see normally in the center for a long time. Concentric narrowing of the visual field can also be caused by advanced glaucoma. There is no point in leaving it as is. Therefore, so that you know more, let’s talk about how doctors correct loss of visual fields and what treatment helps.

Treatment of visual field loss

One of the most serious disorders that can cause loss of visual fields is retinal detachment. This pathological condition requires immediate surgical intervention. The patient may be indicated for extrascleral intervention: a kind of filling of the sclera in the area of projection of the ruptures. Endovitreal operations inside the eyeball can also be performed; in some cases, laser coagulation or cryopexy has a good effect.

If loss of visual fields occurs due to the development of glaucoma, the patient is prescribed medications to reduce intraocular pressure– drops, oral medications, etc. Products that improve blood circulation can also be used inner shells eyes and optic nerve. The doctor may also prescribe medications designed to optimize metabolism in the tissues of the eye. In some cases, successful correction of the disease is possible only with surgical intervention, for example, when exposed to laser: laser iridotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, etc. A complete cure for glaucoma is impossible.

Macular degeneration is considered a fairly serious cause of visual field loss. This pathological condition is difficult to treat; the patient may be given special medicinal compositions(Avastin or Lucentis).

These agents are administered intravially; they help eliminate swelling from the retina and prevent the formation of newly formed vessels. Thanks to the use of such medications, it is possible to avoid further deterioration of the patient’s condition and preserve his vision.

In certain cases, laser coagulation of the retina helps to cope with macular degeneration. This manipulation allows you to block bleeding from newly formed vessels. However, it is worth considering that laser coagulation does not help improve vision, it only stops its decline.

In the event that the cause of loss of visual fields is a cataract or a cataract, only surgical treatment. So, in case of a cataract, the patient is indicated for a partial or end-to-end transplant of a donor cornea, and in case of cataracts, ultrasonic phacoemulsification cataracts, in which a optical lens instead of a clouded lens. Drug treatment such disorders does not provide the desired therapeutic effect.

Thus, in most cases, loss of visual fields should be considered as serious symptom, requiring immediate consultation with a doctor and even prompt surgical intervention.

Vision - the most important way to cognize and perceive the world for all people - from babies to very old people. Visual field loss is a dangerous, often incurable or partially incurable disease that can have many causes and requires regular medical care.

In ours with you modern world Vision problems have significantly lost their importance. People with problems that would previously have left them completely or partially incapacitated are now easily solved with the help of optics, surgical operations and less traumatic methods of ophthalmology.

The percentage of patients who became disabled due to loss or has dropped significantly, but there are still a lot of problems even in the most developed countries.

What is “field of view” in ophthalmology?

The field of view is what we see in front of us at a certain moment, without moving our head and concentrating on one object in space. To put it simply, our vision can be divided into 2 types - central and peripheral.

Central vision is responsible for what we intentionally or instinctively focus our attention on. It grabs central objects and helps us focus in case of danger or any other need. An example of the importance of central vision: a person looking for a coffee cup on the table in front of him.

Peripheral vision is everything that does not fall within the radius of central vision, but is still visible to the eye (at least normally). If the entire surface of the retina read and transmitted information to the brain at the same speed, a person would never be able to focus on anything visually, or would achieve this through unimaginable effort.

The uniqueness of peripheral vision is that it transmits information more blurred and not as clearly as central vision. This allows us to do something, but at the same time also notice the events that occur around it (within a normal radius for a person, of course), helps to navigate in space.

An example of the action of peripheral (side) vision: a person crosses the road and notices a car coming around the corner. The visual field for all people is normally approximately the same, and their differences create diseases, of which there are quite a lot in practice, including loss of visual fields.

How to diagnose a similar problem in yourself?

If you feel that an area in your eyes is darkened, distorted, has completely fallen out, changes the color of what you see, or your overall angle of vision has narrowed, contact your doctor immediately. Other pathologies include flickering spots, a cloudy “veil” or darkening of the image.

In most cases, loss of visual fields is noticeable. The person experiences discomfort from limited opportunity see and almost always see a doctor. Therefore, there are relatively few advanced stages of diseases associated with visual field impairment compared to other branches of medicine.

There is a method for approximate self-diagnosis, but you should not rely on it completely - let it be just another argument to seek help. You definitely have brain problems, nervous system or visual organs, if you can’t see own hand, set aside at an angle of 85 °.

It is also possible to check for retinal problems using the Amsler grid. This simple test consists of just a sheet of paper with a square and a clear dot drawn in the center.

Set the paper aside at a distance from which you can usually read and look carefully at point 1 with your eye. If the cells around the point blur or are distorted in some other way, then the problem requires checking. Don't forget to do the same with the 2nd eye, which can also be damaged by the disease.

One more important feature are “disappearing” letters when reading - this means that your retina is not working quite correctly and does not display all the elements.

Causes of visual field loss:

suffered a stroke;
brain tumors;
various inflammatory processes brain;
deep sclerosis optic nerves.

Visual field loss is a disease that affects both central and lateral (peripheral) vision. Even with the most minor distortions, there is a chance that serious diseases of the retina, fundus of the eye, or organs not directly related to the eyes progress.

Without the help of a specialist, it is impossible to determine the causes of existing problems. The best thing you can do is see a specialist as soon as possible.

Associated diseases

After the examination, you will certainly receive an accurate diagnosis and necessary help, and some diseases you can partially determine in advance yourself:

Narrowing of visual fields

Narrowing of visual fields is a type of loss with the difference that separate areas the pictures do not fall out, but simply become smaller. The viewing radius narrows, as if reducing the active area of the retina. Patients with this pathology note that the eye seems to become smaller in size. There are 2 types:

Concentric narrowing of the visual field - damage to the entire or almost entire eye, a more complex case. It is characteristically different in that it is often accompanied by diseases of the nervous system: neurasthenia, hysteria and other disorders.
Local narrowing of the visual field - only a certain area of the retina becomes unusable.

A special eye test helps to identify which specific type the patient suffers from. If the patient cannot distinguish the size of different objects at a distance, then he most likely has concentric type narrowing. With local narrowing, doctors note that patients lose orientation in space (to varying degrees).

But the main diagnostic method is the Donders method. The patient and the ophthalmologist stand 1 m from each other, covering one eye. The doctor moves a small object from the conditional circle to the center, and if there are no deviations, then both test participants will see the object at the same time.

The most accurate result can be obtained by a computer perimeter - a device that projects an image of the patient’s visual fields onto a special spherical surface. Computer perimetry is practiced in specialized clinics ophthalmological focus.

Causes of narrowing of visual fields:

Pituitary adenoma. Benign tumor, in the presence of which the pituitary gland increases in size, due to its location, exerting significant pressure on the visual pathways.
Eye diseases: glaucoma, optic atrophy and others.
Atherosclerosis. The disease itself is destructive, but, among other things, it can impair blood circulation in the optic nerve.
Various pathologies of the nervous system that have a destructive effect on it.
Hypertension. At severe attacks the field of view is temporarily narrowed.

The success of diagnosis also depends on the type of eye damage - organic or functional.

Treatment Options

It all depends on your diagnosis. Diagnosis and identification of the cause of problems with visual fields play a significant role.

If these changes are caused by a disease, then you need to go to a clinic, where you will be relieved of the disease itself, and then they will deal with the symptoms and consequences. Treatment can be medicinal, often surgical, however modern medicine can offer a lot effective methods eliminate such problems.

If the reasons for the narrowing or loss of your visual fields are diseases that are in no way related to the visual system, then be sure to deal with them first, and only then work on returning your vision to normal.

Don’t forget - first of all, you need a diagnosis from a specialist. Diseases of the visual system are very dangerous, and even such minor changes as “spots” on the retina can be signs of very serious illnesses which lead to irreversible blindness in most cases.

The sooner you contact the clinic for help, the faster doctors They will identify your problem and prescribe the necessary timely treatment.

Video

Visual fields in the field of ophthalmology are an important concept in diagnostics various diseases. In our article we will talk about the causes, prevention and treatment methods of such a pathology as loss of visual fields.

Brief description of the pathology

The field of view is the extent of the surrounding space when looking forward. A change in it is a symptom indicating the presence of some disease.

Loss of visual fields along with their narrowing is the main pathological symptom in the field of ophthalmology. Each patient who suffers from such a pathology experiences certain characteristic sensations in visual perception. This pathology is most accurately detected only with the help of hardware diagnostics using ophthalmological instruments.

Causes of the disease

There are many reasons that can cause loss of the visual field. They affect not only the organs of vision, but also serve as a consequence of a serious disorder in the brain. The most common reasons are causing disturbances visual field includes cataracts along with glaucoma, optic nerve pathology, eye injuries, retinal detachment, neurological diseases, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and diabetes.

If some part of the image is observed as if through a translucent curtain, then we are most likely talking about cataracts. At the initial stage of glaucoma, the center of vision is usually affected, and only then the pathology can affect the peripheral areas. The causes of visual field loss should be identified by a doctor.

Complete loss of vision

With severe pathologies of the optic nerve, the eyes completely stop seeing. Eye injuries can lead to loss of certain areas in the field of vision, and at the same time to severe limitation of vision. With retinal detachment, patients typically see familiar objects in a distorted way. Proportions often change, and straight lines can become curved. At times the patient may feel as if he is looking through a veil of fog.

Against this background, the surrounding panorama may be noticeably deformed. Extremely dangerous for the eyes are high pressure along with atherosclerosis. Such diseases cause blood clots to appear in ocular vessels. In this case, some part of the retina stops working and the patient develops dark spot in the field of view or there is a narrowing of the visible area.

This phenomenon usually occurs spontaneously and disappears after a while, as the blood clot breaks down on its own. The loss of the visual field is systematic. Small blood clots block the blood supply to the retina and for some time, the affected area stops delivering signals to the brain. The blood supply is then restored, after which the patient can see well again. The visual field of one eye, or maybe both, may be lost.

Development of hemianopsia

Hemianopsia is a condition where there is unilateral and multilateral loss of part of the visual fields. In this case, the patient experiences blindness in one half of the visual picture. Such loss indicates a pathology of the nervous system, and not an ophthalmological disease.

This disease can be temporary or permanent. It all depends on the damage to parts of the brain. According to the classification, hemianopsia is divided into homonymous, heteronymous, bitemporal and binasal.

What does loss of half the field of vision mean?

Homonymous hemianopsia means the presence pathological processes, in which the patient sees only one half of the visual image. The cause of such hemianopsia is a lesion in a specific place optic tract or in the cerebral cortex. According to the classification, such hemianopsia is divided into the following types:

Reasons for the development of hemianopsia

Hemianopsia is congenital or acquired. The most common causes of visual field loss are:

The presence of vascular lesions of the brain in the form of hemorrhagic or ischemic strokes.
Development of brain injuries.
The presence of a brain tumor of any course (it does not matter whether it is benign or malignant).
The presence of transient or transient cerebral circulatory disorders.
The presence of hysterical reactions, hydrocephalus, migraine and epileptic seizures.

Hemianopsia may be transient in nature with transient vascular disorder or against the background of migraine. The nature of such a transient disease is explained by short-term swelling of certain areas of the brain. If the swelling of this area of the nervous system subsides, then blindness regresses and recovery is achieved visual function. The appearance of such a symptom in neurological disease, like hemianopsia, makes it possible to diagnose and clearly establish the area of brain damage.

Other types: heteronymous, bitemporal and binasal hemianopsia

With heteronymous hemianopia, the nasal or temporal visual fields are lost. The boundary between the displayed and lost parts of the fields runs horizontally. Based on the nature of the loss of the lateral visual fields, such hemianopia is also divided into partial, complete or square scotoma.

With the bitemporal type (this is the most common type of pathology), loss of the temporal half of the visual field is observed synchronously in both eyes. This disease can develop in the presence of basal arachnoiditis or aortic aneurysm. Brain damage is observed in the area of the pituitary gland or in areas of the optic nerves.

With the binasal type, the nasal half of the visible field is lost on both sides. This type of hemianopsia is extremely rare and is usually diagnosed with chiasmatic arachnoiditis, as well as developing hydrocephalus and in the presence of a tumor process in the brain.

Carrying out diagnostics

Diagnostics similar disease carried out taking into account the study of visual fields using the application Availability clinical symptoms diseases are usually confirmed by additional laboratory tests.

Often, the symptoms of hemianopsia indicate the presence of serious brain damage. In order to clarify the diagnosis, they carry out computed tomography, as well as magnetic resonance imaging and skull radiography. How is visual field loss treated?

Treatment options

Treatment of hemianopsia is aimed at eliminating the underlying causes of the disease. The sooner they start healing procedures to eliminate underlying disease, the more favorable the prognosis for the patient’s future life may be. As a rule, any neurological illnesses leave behind persistent organic changes in the central nervous system.

Violation suffered cerebral circulation, head injury, as well as surgical removal of a brain tumor require long-term rehabilitation against the background residual effects these diseases. Rehabilitation of patients suffering from the pathology in question should be carried out not only with medications.

It is necessary to adapt such patients to navigate the world around them. Wearing glasses with special mirrors can greatly help with this. Also beneficial are classes in specially designed programs that are aimed at improving vision.

Forecast

The prognosis for the life of patients with this disease is, unfortunately, unfavorable. Basically, this illness of an organic nature remains in a person, and regression of symptoms does not occur.

A positive prognosis is noted only when a person, after a stroke, which was suffered in the form of a transient cerebral circulatory disorder, recovers from his painful condition without any consequences. Symptoms of the disorder regress along with the manifestations of hemianopsia. It is this development of symptoms that is observed with migraine, and, in addition, against the background of epileptic seizures and hysterical reactions. In all such cases, positive dynamics in the disease are noted and good prognosis for the future.

It is worth mentioning prevention and what needs to be done to prevent the occurrence of such a disease.

Prevention of pathology

In the role preventive measures to reduce risks eye diseases People should be advised to observe work and rest schedules. This especially applies to those people who constantly work on a computer, as well as in hazardous industries. Persons with availability high blood pressure, just like diabetics, they need to constantly monitor the slightest negative deviations in their health.

In order to minimize the risks of developing the disease in question, it is necessary to carefully monitor your health and in no case allow head and neck injuries. Among other things, it is necessary to pay close attention to the health of the heart and blood vessels, and at the same time conduct a systematic examination by a cardiologist.

If found unpleasant symptoms, loss of visual fields of any nature, the patient should immediately and without delay consult a doctor. This will certainly ensure timely identification and diagnosis, which means that treatment will be started on time. necessary treatment. This will make it possible to eliminate the health problem at the beginning, and at the same time prevent the development of possible complications.