Causes of visual impairment and prevention. A sharp decrease in vision


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

The fact of losing 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 its further fall, then after correction with lenses or glasses, prevention stops.

As practice shows, only an expensive operation can make citizens take prevention and measures aimed at maintaining the result achieved by the operation more seriously. So what causes vision loss, how can they be dealt with routinely, and when is emergency medical attention needed?

Falling vision options:

    color perception disorders;

    visual field pathology;

    lack of binocular vision;

    double vision;

    decreased visual acuity;

Decreased visual acuity

The norm of visual acuity in children after five years 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 looks at the points at an angle of 1/60 of a degree.

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

Myopia

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition of vision where light rays project an image up to the retina. In this case, far vision deteriorates. Myopia is of two types: acquired and congenital (against the background of elongation eyeball, in the presence of weakness of the oculomotor and ciliary muscles). Acquired myopia appears as a result of visual loads of an irrational nature (writing and reading in the supine position, non-observance of the best visibility distance, frequent overwork of the eyes).

The main pathologies that lead to the occurrence of myopia are lens subluxation, as well as its sclerosis in the elderly, traumatic dislocations, an increase in the thickness of the cornea, accommodation spasm. In addition, myopia can be of vascular origin. Mild myopia is considered to be up to -3, the average degree is in the range from -3.25 to -6. Any excess of the latter indicator refers to severe myopia. Progressive myopia is myopia, in which the numbers are constantly growing. Growth occurs against the background of stretching in the eye of the posterior chamber. The main complication of severe myopia is divergent strabismus.

farsightedness

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

    Congenital farsightedness is due to 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, an abnormally small size of the eye.

    Senile form (vision loss 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).

The 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 in late stages there is a complete loss of vision. The first manifestations of pathology are considered to be problematic when reading small print from a distance of 25-30 centimeters, blurring also appears when looking from distant objects to close ones. Hypermetropia may be complicated by an increase intraocular pressure.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism in simple terms can be explained as different visual acuity vertically and horizontally. In this case, the projection of a point in the eye is displayed as a figure of eight or an ellipse. In addition to the blurring of objects, astigmatism is characterized by double vision and eye fatigue. It can also be combined with farsightedness or nearsightedness, or even be 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. Are guilty of such a pathology oculomotor muscles, which work out of sync, respectively, both eyes cannot concentrate on the object at the same time. Quite often, damage to muscles or nerves against the background of 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 pits 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.

    Temporal doubling is quite often played up 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 a too convex cornea, subluxation of the lens, or damage to the spur sulcus in the occipital region of the cerebral cortex.

binocular vision disorder

Stereoscopic vision allows a person to assess the size, shape, 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 distances. If there is a difference in the eyes of several diopters, then more weak eye begins to turn off the cerebral cortex 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 judge distance that forces many drivers to resort to spectacles or wearing contact lenses.

Most often, binocular vision disappears with strabismus. It is worth noting that practically no one has an ideal balance between the position of the eyes, but given the fact that even with deviations in muscle tone, binocular vision can be maintained, 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 consider this property in a spatial sense, then it is more like a 3D hill, with the top in the clearest part. The deterioration along the slope is more pronounced towards the foot of the nose and less along the temporal slope. The field of view is limited by the anatomical protrusions of the facial bones of the skull, and at the optical level it depends on the capabilities of the retina.

For white color the norm of the field of view 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 according to the type of dark spots (cattle), in the form of local (hemianopsia) or concentric constrictions.

    Scotoma - a spot in the outlines of which visibility is completely absent, with absolute, or there is blurred visibility with relative scotoma. Also, scotomas can be of a mixed type with the presence of complete blackness inside and blurring along the periphery. Positive scotomas present as symptoms, while negative scotomas can only be identified by examination.

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

    Retinal detachment - manifests itself as the presence of a curtain on the peripheral part of the visual field from any side. In addition, with retinal detachment, images may float and distort the lines and shapes of objects). 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 optic tract at the intersection.

    With glaucoma, half of the fields that are located closer to the nose fall out. A symptom of such a pathology may be fog in the eyes, a rainbow when looking at a bright light. The same prolapse can be observed in pathologies of non-crossed optic fibers in the area of ​​the chiasm (aneurysm of the internal carotid artery).

    Cross prolapse 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 half fields, quarters may also fall out (quadrant hemianopsia).

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

    Pigmentary degeneration of the retina - manifests itself in the form of tubular vision or concentric narrowing of the visual fields. At the same time, its high sharpness remains in the central part of the visual field, and the periphery practically drops out. With a uniform development of concentric vision, most likely the cause of such symptoms is a violation of cerebral circulation or glaucoma. Concentric narrowing is also characteristic of inflammation of the posterior retina (peripheral chorioretinitis).

Deviations in color perception

    Temporal shifts relative to the perception of white - occur due to surgical intervention aimed at removing the cataract-affected lens. There may be shifts towards red, yellow, blue flowers, respectively, white will have a reddish, yellowish, bluish tint, by analogy with 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 the colors: red and yellow become paler, while blue, on the contrary, becomes more saturated.

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

  • Discoloration of objects - in the later 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

Amovrosis - atrophy of the optic nerve, complete retinal detachment, acquired or congenital absence of the eye.

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

Causes of vision loss:

    deviation in the cortical region;

    damage to the optic nerve;

    deviations in the area of ​​the retina;

    muscle pathologies;

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

In a normal state, the transparent media of the eye are able to refract and transmit 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, respectively, an obstacle appears in the path of light rays.

Pathology 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.

    Pathology is characterized by redness in the eye, pain, ulceration of the cornea, its clouding.

    The presence of photophobia is characteristic.

    Abundant lacrimation and a decrease in the luster of the cornea up to the appearance of an opaque leukoma.

More than 50% of keratins of viral origin fall on dendritic keratitis (derived from herpes). At the same time, a damaged nerve trunk in the form of a tree branch is observed in the eye. Creeping corneal ulcer - is the final stage of herpetic lesions of the cornea, or its chronic injury from exposure foreign bodies. Quite often, ulcers are formed due to amoebic keratitis, which most often develops when the hygiene of the use of contact lenses is not followed and the use of poor-quality lenses.

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

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

Cataract

A clouding of the lens in ophthalmology is called a cataract. In this case, the lens loses its transparency and elasticity, structural proteins are destroyed, and metabolism is disturbed. Congenital cataract is the result of a genetic pathology or intrauterine effects 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, the result of radiation exposure, chemical or mechanical injury to the lens, or its age-related dystrophy. Posterior capsular cataract manifests itself after 60 years - there is a rapid loss of vision, a nuclear one provokes an increase in the degree of myopia, and an age-related cortical one leads to blurry images.

Opacification of the vitreous body

Destruction, or clouding of the vitreous body, is perceived by the patient as dots or threads that float before the eyes at the moment of moving the gaze. This manifestation is a consequence of the thickening and subsequent loss of transparency of the individual fibers that make up the vitreous body. Such thickenings occur due to arterial hypertension, or age-related dystrophy, and vascular pathologies, glucocorticoid therapy, hormonal changes, can also be the cause. diabetes. Turbidity 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 appear in the eyes.

Muscular pathologies

Vision directly depends on the functioning of the oculomotor and ciliary muscles. Failures in their work can also lead to visual impairment. Six muscles provide a 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 eye. Muscle work is disrupted due to vascular spasm that occurs in the vertebrobasilar basin of the brain, hypothalamic syndrome, spinal scoliosis and other causes that cause brain blood flow disorders. The cause of the development of such a pathology may be a traumatic brain injury. Initially, there is a spasm of accommodation, and then myopia develops. Some domestic ophthalmologists in their works have identified and described the dependence of acquired myopia in infants due to injuries cervical spine of the fetus at the time of delivery.

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 dilating and constricting the pupil, as well as the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid. Most often, nerve damage occurs due to a microinfarction caused by hypertension, 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, pupil dilation regardless of the reaction to light, eyelid drooping, double vision, divergent strabismus. Often, with strokes, the program of pathological syndromes (Benedict, Claude, Weber) includes nerve damage.

Abducens nerve injury

Damage to the abducens nerve makes it difficult to move the eye to the side. Such damage can be caused by: vascular infarction due to diabetes mellitus, or arterial hypertension, stroke, multiple sclerosis, CNS tumors, complication of otitis media, intracranial hypertension, head trauma, pituitary tumor, nasopharyngeal cancer, carotid aneurysm, meningioma. The patient suffers from horizontal double vision, which is exacerbated by the moment the gaze shifts towards the lesion. In children, lesions of the abducens nerve, of a congenital nature, are included in the program of Duane and Mobius syndromes.

When the trochlear nerve is damaged, double vision appears in the oblique, or vertical planes. Its amplification occurs when you try to look down. The head is quite often in a forced position. Most often, the cause of nerve damage is traumatic brain injury, myasthenia gravis, microinfarction of the nerve.

Retinal pathologies

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

    Vitelline degeneration, punctate degeneration, gallstone dystrophy are hereditary pathologies that should be considered when vision falls in a preschool child.

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

    Strandberg-Grenblad syndrome is a formation located in the retina of bands that resemble vessels and replace rods and cones.

    Angioma is a tumor on the vessels of the retina that occurs at a young age. These tumors cause detachment, or retinal breaks.

    Retinitis Coats (varicose veins of the retina) is an enlargement of the veins that leads to the occurrence of 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.

    A malignant tumor of the retina of a diffuse type is retinoblastoma.

    Uveitis is an inflammation of the retina that can cause not only cloudiness, but also sparks and flashes in the field of vision. Distortions in the size, shape and shape of objects can also be observed. In some cases, "night blindness" develops.

Signs of pathologies optic nerves

    With a complete rupture of the nerve, the eye from the side of the lesion goes blind. The pupil narrows, there is no reaction to light. Pupil constriction may be observed, provided that light is applied to a healthy eye.

    With damage to only part of the nerve fibers, there may be a decrease in vision, or periodic loss in the visual fields.

    The most common cause of nerve damage is toxic lesions, tumors, vascular diseases, injuries.

    Nerve anomalies - doubled disc of the nerve, hamartoma, colomboma.

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

Temporary vision loss

eye fatigue

The most common cause of vision loss is eye fatigue, which in ophthalmology is called asthenopia. Overwork occurs due to prolonged irrational stress 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 muscles of the eyes are overstrained, pain, lacrimation appears. It becomes difficult for a person to concentrate on small details, font, a feeling of veil, 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. The clinical picture of this disease is similar to asthenopia. However, transient visual impairment in the distance or near develops due to spasm of the ciliary muscle from overwork. As described above, this muscle performs the function of changing the curvature of the lens.

Hemeralopia and nyctalopia - "night blindness"

A significant drop in vision at dusk, which develops against the background of a deficiency of vitamins that belong to groups B, PP, A. Popularly, this disease is 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. Pathology is manifested by a narrowing of the visual fields, a violation of spatial orientation, a deterioration in color perception, a drop 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 circulatory disorders of the brain (against the background of venous hypertension, vasculitis, vascular anomalies, blood diseases, cerebral amyloidosis, syndrome vertebral artery, atherosclerosis), hypertensive crises (sudden jumps blood pressure). In such cases, there is a darkening in the eyes, "flies" before the eyes, blurred vision. Combined symptoms may appear, blurred vision and dizziness, loss of hearing and vision.

Migraine

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

Intraocular pressure

Normally, the pressure inside the eye is in the range of 9 to 22 mm. rt. Art., however, with an attack of glaucoma, it can rise to 50-70, and sometimes even higher. There is a sharp headache 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 complemented by dark spots before the eyes, iridescent circles and blurred vision. Quite often, vegetative disorders (pain in the heart, vomiting, nausea) join.

Medicines

Impact medicines may be the cause of transient myopia. Such manifestations are observed in the case of taking high doses of sulfonamides.

Sharp deterioration vision

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

Reversible vision loss

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

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

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

    In case of poisoning with methyl alcohol, quinine, chloroquine and phenothiazine derivatives, bilateral loss of vision may develop, which occurs on 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 up to 20 seconds, which occur with a sharp change in lighting.

Irreversible loss of vision

Sudden loss of vision in one eye most closely resembles retinal artery occlusion, or central vein thrombosis, or retinal dissection.

    If the loss of vision occurred on the background of 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 in emergency decompression with the help of surgical intervention.

    An increase in intraocular pressure may be accompanied by the density of the eyeball, pain in the abdomen, heart, head, loss of vision, redness of the eye.

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

    Due to ischemic stroke, the eye may become blind.

reason sharp drop vision can only be determined by an ophthalmologist paired with a neuropathologist, since vascular pathologies most often lead to a sharp loss of vision.

Diagnostics

In order to obtain complete information about the state of the eye, ophthalmologists today have a huge set of diagnostic capabilities in their arsenal. A huge amount of research relates to hardware methods. During the survey, they usually use:

    measurement of the productivity of the lacrimal gland;

    determination of the profile of the cornea, or computed keratotopography;

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

    determination of the length of the eye (echobiometry);

    biomicroscopy;

    fundus examination paired with an examination of the optic nerve head;

    checking visual fields;

    measurement of intraocular pressure;

    determination of the refractive power of the eye;

    measurement of visual acuity;

    Eye ultrasound.

Treatment for 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 with massage and gymnastics for the eyes, apparatus techniques, contact lenses and, most often, glasses. In the presence of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies, vitamins are administered.

    Spectacle correction allows you to correct complex visual impairments (astigmatism paired with hyperopia, myopia), farsightedness, myopia with retinal detachment, and 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 shortcomings are negated.

    People who make money with their appearance resort to wearing lenses. The main claim to correction with lenses is complex hygiene. This increases the risk of developing protozoal and bacterial complications, as well as disturbed air circulation in the eye. It is worth noting that modern ophthalmology allows you to purchase the latest breathing lenses.

    Massage and gymnastics help to normalize and restore the blood flow of the eye structures, relax the eye muscles. Such 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

    Cataract today is successfully treated only with the complete replacement of the pathological lens.

    Vascular and tumor processes are also corrected only with the help of surgical intervention.

    Partial detachment and rupture of the retina is treated with laser welding.

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

    Today, the laser is also used to correct vision (astigmatism within 3 diopters, myopia at 15, hyperopia at 4). The laser keratomileusis method combines laser beams and mechanical keratoplasty. A corneal flap is detached with a keratome and the profile is corrected with 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 options for the operation, during which the cornea is resurfaced. Epi-LASIK corrects visual 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 a lot of advantages. It is painless, has a short rehabilitation period, requires a little time, does not leave stitches. However, there are complications that can develop against the background of laser correction, these are: corneal growth, excessive shrinkage of the corneal epithelium, corneal inflammation, dry eye syndrome.

    Operational laser treatment has a number of contraindications. It is not performed on children under 18, breastfeeding, or pregnant women. You can not use this technique for herpes, operated retinal detachment, progression of myopia, immunodeficiency, cataracts, autoimmune pathologies, insufficient thickness of the cornea, glaucoma, on a single eye.

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

Now, according to statistics, about 130 million people with poor eyesight live on the planet, and about 35-37 million of those who are not able to see at all. The reasons for this can be both congenital and acquired features of human health. Most often, the process of visual impairment is quite slow, gradual, and a person has time to either adapt to this, or take measures that can stop the process. But sometimes there is a sharp deterioration in vision. The reasons for this process may be different.

First signs

If the quality of vision has deteriorated sharply, then the person becomes not only unable to lead his usual way of life, but often falls into a depressive state, which can turn into panic. The thing is that the lion's share (up to 90%) of information about environment each of us receives through the eyes. Reading, watching interesting videos and TV, surfing the Internet and even searching right place on the street - for all this, well-seeing eyes are simply needed.

What happens when a person's vision deteriorates? The very first symptom is the inability to clearly see the surrounding objects, especially those located far away. Also, the images become blurry, a “veil” may hang before the eyes, and a cloudy look is felt. Problems begin with obtaining information visually, the inability to read, etc. The more vision deteriorates, the more difficult it becomes to navigate in space.

Attention! Sometimes visual impairment, especially sharp, may not occur due to the fact that some eye diseases have developed. Often the cause that caused this condition is some kind of pathology of organs that are not related to the eyes.

Table. Types of visual impairment.

Main reasons

Visual impairment can be different - temporary or gradual and permanent. If the character is temporary, then this factor does not pose a danger as such to health and is usually caused by ordinary overwork, excessive eye strain, and long sitting at a computer monitor. Thus, a sharp deterioration is due to the fact that there is simply a long-term effect on the eyes. Stress and lack of sleep can also dramatically worsen vision. In this case, there is nothing to worry about, just give yourself a well-deserved rest without straining your eyes.

Not always a sharp deterioration in visual function is associated with the eyes. The human body is a complex system where everything is interconnected. And if the eyes did not experience a strong impact, and the vision fell anyway, then it's time to start worrying about the general condition. For example, you can start to see poorly due to diseases such as diabetes, pituitary adenoma, Basedow's disease, etc.

Attention! If visual impairment is associated with other diseases, then it is usually accompanied by additional symptoms that you need to pay attention to. These can be headaches, skin pallor, irritability, etc.

In general, the causes can be divided into ophthalmic, that is, associated specifically with the eyes, and general, which are associated with the state of the body.

Ophthalmic factors

Among the ophthalmic problems that cause rapid and sudden deterioration of vision, we can distinguish:

  • mechanical or chemical injury(such as fractures of the orbit, bruises, injections, contact with toxic substances in the eyes, burns, etc.). Among them, the most dangerous are injuries caused by piercing and cutting tools, as well as chemical liquids that have occurred due to the ingress of chemical liquids into the eye. The latter often affect not only the surface of the eyeball, but are also capable of damaging deep-lying tissues;

  • retinal hemorrhage. This is often due to excessive levels physical activity, prolonged labor, etc.;
  • various types of eye infections- bacterial, fungal or viral. It can be conjunctivitis,;

  • retinal tear or detachment. In the latter case, there is first some deterioration in vision in one eye, a veil appears. In this case, only a special operation will help restore the retina;
  • macular degeneration. In this case, visual impairment is observed in people over the age of 45 years. The disease affects the area of ​​the retina where the most a large number of light sensitive receptors. Often this is associated with beriberi;
  • cataract- a common disease associated with damage to the lens. Usually observed in the elderly, congenital is extremely rare. Often it is associated with a deterioration in metabolism, injuries, etc. In a neglected form, it is treated surgically;

  • optic neuropathy. Wherein pain syndrome missing;
  • farsightedness and nearsightedness are the two most common visual pathologies. Nearsightedness is often caused by heredity, changes in the shape of the cornea, problems with the lens, or weakness of the eye muscles. Farsightedness is caused by a small diameter of the eye and problems with the lens. It usually occurs in people aged 25-65 years.

Other factors

Other factors often mean precisely some specific diseases of the body. For example, it could be diabetes. In this case, visual impairment is called "diabetic retinopathy". This symptom occurs in 90% of diabetics, especially those with type 1 diabetes. Visual impairment in this case is associated with damage to small vessels in the retina, which ultimately remains without a good blood supply.

Attention! In diabetes, it is possible total loss vision, so it is important for people suffering from this disease to visit an ophthalmologist regularly.

Also, various diseases can reduce the clarity of vision. thyroid gland. For example, toxic goiter or Graves' disease. But with it there is another sign that is considered the main one - bulging eyes.

Sometimes vision can deteriorate due to problems with the spine. This is due to the fact that vision depends on the work of not only the brain, but also the spinal cord.

Attention! Often vision problems develop in people with addictions- addiction to alcohol, smoking, etc.

Bilateral vision loss

This process can be observed in the following cases:

  • ischemic neuropathy of the optical form when the retina is affected. Often occurs due to aortic arch syndrome with a sharp change in body position;
  • bilateral infarction is often accompanied by color vision failure, this symptom is usually noted in the elderly;
  • neuritis retrobulbar- one of the symptoms of widespread multiple sclerosis, occurs in about 16% of cases. Usually in this case, problems arise with central vision;
  • increased intracranial pressure often accompanied by amblyopia, the duration of which can vary from seconds to minutes;
  • when temporal arteritis the vessels of the head, eyes are affected, because of which vision deteriorates.

What to do if vision drops

Vision can be lost very quickly if nothing is done at the first signals of its deterioration. In most cases, this is due to inattention to one's health. How to act in order to restore the functioning of the visual apparatus or stop the process of vision deterioration?

Vision correction with contact lenses

Lenses vary in how long they are worn. For example, one-day lenses from Bausch + Lomb Biotrue® ONEday (Biotra one-day) are popular. They are made of HyperGel material (HyperGel), which is similar to the structures of the eye and tear, contains a large amount of moisture - 78% and provides comfort even after 16 hours of continuous wear. This is the best option for dryness or discomfort from wearing other lenses. These lenses do not need to be looked after, a new pair is put on every day.

There are also scheduled replacement lenses - silicone hydrogel Bausch + Lomb ULTRA, using MoistureSeal® technology (MoyschSil). They combine high content moisture, good oxygen permeability and softness. Thanks to this, the lenses are not felt when worn, do not damage the eyes. Such lenses need care using special solutions - for example, ReNu MultiPlus (Renu MultiPlus), which moisturizes and cleans soft lenses, destroying viruses, bacteria and fungi, is used to store lenses. For sensitive eyes, the ReNu MPS solution (Renu MPS) with a reduced concentration of active ingredients is optimal. Despite the softness of the formula, the solution effectively removes deep and surface dirt. For long-term moisturizing of lenses, solutions with hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizing component, have been developed. For example, the Biotrue universal solution (Biotru), which, in addition to removing contaminants, bacteria and fungi, provides 20-hour moistening of the lenses due to the presence of a hyaluronan polymer in the product.

It helps to improve the condition of the eyes and a number of relaxing exercises. They will be especially useful for those who work a lot at the computer. The simplest exercise is to close the eyes and contemplate the imaginary nature. Sometimes people visualize just pleasant moments in life or dream.

Attention! Eyes can get tired not only because of work, but also because of emotional overstrain. Therefore, returning to the past and remembering pleasant moments will be a good idea to replenish internal resources and relax.

It is also important to take care of your diet. It must be balanced and supply the body with all nutrients he needs for his work.

It is also important to have regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist. At the first sign of visual impairment, you need to consult a doctor immediately to identify the causes and prescribe proper treatment. It may also be necessary to visit other specialists if the visual impairment is not associated with ophthalmic processes.

How to strengthen eyesight?

Step 1. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, necessary for correct operation eye. Therefore, it is important to eat as much as possible. more carrots in different form. It is also important to consume foods rich in iron and zinc.

Step 2 Surprisingly, action games will help strengthen your eyes. This is reported by the results of a study conducted by scientists published in 2007. The eyes seem to train when they follow the active actions taking place on the screen. So you need to change your favorite genre of games to "action".

Step 3 It is required to include in the daily routine several walks on fresh air, and during the holidays, be sure to get out into nature.

Step 5 You need to visit an ophthalmologist regularly to check the condition of the eyes. This will help prevent the development of any diseases and take timely measures to improve vision if necessary.

Step 6 It is important to limit the time spent at the computer or watching TV. Loads on the eyes should be strictly dosed. If this is not possible, then it is required to periodically interrupt and do exercises for the eyes.

Step 7 Sports and physical exercises help to strengthen the eyes. It is recommended to add at least 1-2 workouts per week to your schedule.

Step 8 Done if necessary.

Video - Causes of vision loss

Vision is a great gift that nature has given to man. And, of course, you need to protect it. Otherwise, you can lose many of the joys of life. Therefore, at the slightest sign of visual impairment, it is important to immediately take care of helping the eyes.

Visual impairment is a problem that many face with age or after heavy eye strain. 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 can be taken when such an unpleasant fact is discovered, let's look at the causes, as well as methods for dealing with the main symptom.

Causes of eye diseases

Prevention

Knowing the reasons for the deterioration of vision, it is not difficult to determine those preventive measures needed to restore it. These include:

  1. Refusal of bad habits, including smoking and alcohol.
  2. Regular visits to the optometrist for the timely detection and treatment of any ailments (it must be remembered that in the early stages almost all of them can be completely cured with medication, which is practically inaccessible in the later stages).
  3. Protect your eyes from chemical exposure and UV radiation.
  4. Compliance with recommendations on hygiene of vision, including ensuring the proper level of lighting at home and in the office, as well as the mode of work at the computer.
  5. Active sports that improve blood circulation and metabolism.
  6. Regular exposure to fresh air.
  7. Gymnastics and massage for the eyes.
  8. Homemade baths and lotions based on herbs.

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

Also read about gymnastics for the eyes with myopia.

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 vision has fallen

In the event that you have found even minor symptoms of decreased vision, you should see a doctor immediately. The ophthalmologist is obliged, at your request, to conduct a comprehensive eye examination, study the conditions of your work and life, establish the reason for which the vision has fallen, 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 serious illnesses in you, he will be able to select for you individual method of vision prevention, using which you can remove this symptom and return to normal life.

Many people with a slight deterioration in vision do not see the point in going to the doctor and try to solve the problem through folk 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 true reason loss of vision, and therefore it is impossible to adequately treat it. Such an 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 pathologies of vision, including myopia, cataracts and glaucoma (all of them are accompanied by a decrease in visual acuity), this symptom is also characteristic of a number of other ailments, including:

  • Impaired intracranial pressure caused by circulatory problems.
  • Venereal diseases.
  • infectious diseases.

Read also about the symptoms of edema and glaucoma by.

With such ailments, damage to the centers of the nervous system can occur, due to which the vision in patients falls.

Normal and diseased eye

That is why, if you have never complained about the health of your eyes before, need to pay Special attention this symptom and seek immediate medical attention. You may need diagnostics from other specialists: a neurologist, a cardiologist, a therapist, but it will give you the opportunity to get the most complete picture of the disease and overcome it faster.

Modern recovery methods

Nowadays, ophthalmology has dozens of effective methods 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 with the help of night lenses (with weak myopia and hyperopia).

Also essential tool vision correction are contact lenses various optical power, which can be soft, hard gas permeable. Selected for each patient individually.

Read more about extended wear soft contact lenses.

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

It is highly not recommended to independently make a decision on the selection of one or another remedy to eliminate visual impairments, since they can not only not give a good result, but also aggravate the problem if the wrong selection is made.

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

Traditional medicine (diet, diet, vitamins)

Almost all folk methods the fight against visual 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. It is also mandatory to add dairy products to it to saturate with the necessary minerals.
  • The use of various infusions. For example, mistletoe (treatment of glaucoma), as well as eyebright (for various types pathologies).
  • Using various oils to massage the eyes, including geranium oil, burdock oil and other similar oils to which a person is not allergic. These funds also contain wide range vitamins, therefore, they can have an extremely positive effect on the condition of your eyes.
  • As local remedies, these methods also include therapeutic compresses based on a decoction of chamomile and other herbs. In prophylactic whole, it is enough to carry them out twice a week.

Read more about vitamins to improve vision.

It is extremely important to use traditional medicine methods to restore visual acuity as preventive ones. However, for serious diseases, including glaucoma and cataracts, it is not recommended to base treatment only on them. This can backfire on your health.

Eye charger

There are more than a dozen effective exercises for various eye diseases, the daily implementation of which can give a good therapeutic effect and even improve your visual acuity. They are aimed at solution various problems vision and allow:

  • Improve eye circulation(exercise "curtain");
  • Train accommodation(all exercises aimed at consistent focusing of vision on near and distant objects);
  • Relax eye muscles(exercise "butterfly").

    • conclusions

    As you can see, both in medical and folk practice there are a lot of effective recipes that can save a person from vision problems. And, unfortunately, no one is immune from them, but there are effective methods although not preventing, but slowing down the process of vision decline. This is exercise for the eyes, and, and ethnoscience. All that is needed to cure such ailments is to pay attention to the problem in a timely manner and proceed to its effective treatment. In this case, you will definitely get positive results in this case.

If you start to see worse, you need to go to the ophthalmologist. But you can guess in advance what happened and how to proceed.


Myopia

You begin to see things far away poorly. At the same time, close objects are still visible well. In young people, myopia most often manifests itself in early childhood and is associated with myopia (congenital weakness of the muscles of the eye), in adults - with less pronounced myopia, which manifested itself a little later, and much less often - with age reasons: a change in the shape of the cornea, sclerosis of the lens, etc. Therefore, the main cause of myopia is hereditary. The biophysics of myopia is simple - the beam is focused not on the retina, but a little closer.

What to do. An examination by an ophthalmologist is sufficient to diagnose myopia, determine its degree and choose a correction method (wearing glasses and / or contact lenses, LASIK laser correction, etc.).

Pseudo myopia

Many people have to look at the monitor of a computer, tablet or phone for a long time. Prolonged stress can lead to overstrain of the muscles of the eyes and the appearance of a symptom of pseudomyopia, when it is difficult for the eye to reorient itself to objects at a distance. In this case, objects in the distance may appear blurry for some time.

What to do. After every hour of work at the computer, take a 10-minute break, do exercises for the eyes, use computer glasses.

farsightedness

The ability to see objects that are far away is preserved, and even somewhat improved, and objects that are close become blurry. Unlike myopia, this is not a hereditary, but an age-related disease. Farsightedness occurs mainly in middle and old age and is called presbyopia. It is caused by a decrease in the ability of the lens to change curvature, as a result, the beam is focused not on the retina, but behind it. Diagnosis of farsightedness is simple - a visit to an ophthalmologist and the choice of a correction method are enough. But even such a simple disease has its pitfalls. With the beginning of presbyopia, the eye is able to focus the beam on the retina due to the constant overstrain of the eye muscles. As a result, vision in a normal situation remains normal, but about an hour after the start of reading or working at a computer, a headache and lacrimation appear. Do not miss this symptom and make an appointment with your doctor in time.

What to do. To slow down the development of presbyopia, choose glasses in time, it is possible to carry out laser correction LASIK.

Astigmatism

This is a violation of the eye's ability to see clearly. The cause may be a violation of the shape of the cornea, lens or vitreous body of the eye, often congenital. As a result, the image is formed on the retina as if in two places, the clarity of the image decreases, progressive deterioration of vision, rapid fatigue during work, headache, it is possible to see objects curved and their doubling. Astigmatism is easy to identify with a special test, looking at a sheet of paper with black parallel lines with one eye. When the sheet is rotated in front of the astigmatic eye, the lines become fuzzy.

What to do. Astigmatism is treated with glasses, special contact lenses, good result gives laser correction LASIK.

Vegetovascular dystonia (vascular spasm)

Violation of the nervous regulation of blood vessels is more common in adolescents and young women, but can occur at any age. In addition to unreasonable anxiety and constantly wet palms, the disease can be manifested by so-called vascular crises, accompanied by headache, nausea and various violations vision, including the appearance of dark spots and flies before the eyes and even loss of visual fields. Fortunately, this crisis passes quickly.

What to do. Contact a neurologist, you may need to take an electroencephalogram (EEG) and pick up a course of sedative and vasodilator pills.

Glaucoma

The disease has many causes and one consequence - an increase in intraocular pressure. This causes dangerous changes in the structures of the eye and optic nerve that can lead a person to complete blindness, and has characteristic symptoms. Among them - the appearance of a "fog" or "grid" before the eyes, "rainbow circles" when looking at a light source, a feeling of heaviness, tension and periodic pain in the eye, blurred vision at dusk. More often, glaucoma develops gradually, there is time to take care of the growing symptoms and make an appointment with the doctor, but sometimes an acute attack of glaucoma occurs suddenly. In this case, the patient is disturbed by severe pain in the eye and headache, nausea, vomiting, and general weakness are possible. It is interesting that one of the indicated symptoms may not turn out to be one, the main one - pain in the eye, then an attack of glaucoma is mistaken for a migraine, flu, toothache, meningitis and even food poisoning.

What to do. At acute attack the main thing is to call an ambulance in time, and if other diseases are excluded, it is imperative to get an examination by an ophthalmologist. In chronic course - constantly be under the supervision of an ophthalmologist conducting treatment.

Cataract

This is a disease of the lens - the main "lens" of our eye. Remember when a small speck imperceptibly appears on the camera lens and then tediously accompanies all the photos from your vacation? So the darkening on the lens spoils the perception of the world. The first symptoms of cataracts include the flickering of "flies" and "stripes" before the eyes, hypersensitivity to bright light, blurred vision, distortion of the objects in question, weakening the perception of colors and shades. A common first symptom is difficulty fitting glasses to correct farsightedness. This is no coincidence, because both diseases are age-related.

What to do. Do not delay with surgical treatment, today the replacement of the lens takes place very quickly and with a minimal risk of complications.

Neoplasms of the brain

The appearance of any neoplasm in the cranial cavity necessarily leads to an increase in intracranial pressure. This causes swelling of the optic nerves and transient visual impairment. That is transitory. Those who become ill describe it as "a veil suddenly falling over the eyes." Comes suddenly, and passes slowly, up to 30 minutes. Another symptom is the so-called “morning blindness”, when a person wakes up almost blind, and after a while “sees clearly”. Another important symptom- progressive deterioration of vision against the background of the listed symptoms. As well as a headache that radiates to the bridge of the nose and the back of the head, and episodic double vision.

What to do. An MRI is the most effective way to detect brain tumors. It does not have to be a tumor; more than half of brain tumors do not have malignant potential and do not recur.

Age-related farsightedness is the natural state of man. The process begins at the age of 25, but only by the age of 40-50 the letters become blurry when reading. By the age of 65, the eye almost completely loses the ability to correctly focus the beam on the retina.

Hemeralopia

Previously, this disease, popularly called night blindness, was very common. In our time, there are few new cases, but in the inhabitants of the North, as well as in those suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with poor absorption of vitamins, it occurs. The main reason is the lack of vitamin A, which is found in butter, milk, cheese, eggs, blackberries, black currants, peaches, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, and some other vegetables and fruits. The main symptoms are a significant deterioration in vision in the dark, a violation of the perception of colors, especially blue, the appearance of "spots" in the field of vision when moving from a darkened room to a brighter one.

What to do. Contact a therapist and an ophthalmologist, take a blood test for vitamin A levels.

Stroke

Sudden blurred vision can be one of the first symptoms of a stroke. Make you think about neurological reason sudden decrease or complete disappearance of vision in both eyes, the appearance of fog before the eyes, double vision, loss of half of the field of vision (a person stops seeing on one side). This is accompanied by weakness of the limbs on the one hand, impaired speech, loss of consciousness.

What to do. For any sudden visual impairment, call an ambulance immediately.

Multiple sclerosis

Visual impairment is one of common symptoms first appearance of multiple sclerosis. In this case, vision in one eye suddenly decreases, up to complete blindness, recovering within a few days, black dots appear in the field of vision, fog and a veil before the eyes, double vision. multiple sclerosis women 20-40 years old are more often ill, but in recent times the disease is more common in both adolescents and men. After the “debut”, the disease may not manifest itself for 10 or even 20 years, so a sudden visual impairment will subsequently become an important diagnostic episode.

What to do. Consult a neurologist, conduct an MRI.

General information

Almost everyone has experienced visual impairment. However, for most, this was a temporary phenomenon, provoked by banal eye fatigue after a long day at work, reading in a poorly lit room, or working at a computer for a long time. But do not forget that visual impairment can be an “alarm bell” and the beginning of a serious pathology not only of the eyes, but also of the endocrine system, spine and even the brain. So, let's consider what are the options for visual impairment.

First of all, vision may deteriorate sharply or gradually. And if, with a gradual visual impairment, people bypass doctors for a long time, then in cases of a sharp deterioration, as a rule, they seek help in a timely manner. But you need to see a doctor at the very moment when you first find that you can’t read the label at the usual distance or started to sit closer to the screen while watching the next episode of your favorite series. After all, it is the organ of vision that gives us about 80% of all information about the world around us. The most common types of visual impairment are myopia (poor clarity when looking into the distance) and farsightedness (blurring of close objects). However, do not forget that visual impairment can be in the form of clouding before the eyes or loss of one or more areas from the field of vision.

Causes

All causes of visual impairment can be conditionally divided into three large groups - diseases of the direct organ of vision (cornea, lens, retina), pathology of the periocular tissues (including the muscles of the eye, soft tissues of the orbit, including strabismus) and systemic diseases (of other organs and systems). Separately, one can single out a temporary deterioration in vision from eye fatigue that occurs with frequent overwork, constant stress, chronic sleep deprivation. In this case, a good rest and gymnastics for the eyes is enough.

Among the diseases of the direct organ of vision, the most common cause of visual impairment are the following:

  • deformation of the lens or loss of its ability to change its shape (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism);
  • eye injuries (bruises, burns, incisions, etc.);
  • cataract (clouding of the lens);
  • glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure);
  • pathology of the retina (its detachment, ruptures, macular degeneration);
  • thorn (clouding of the cornea);
  • keratitis (infectious, allergic, autoimmune, toxic), keratoconjunctivitis, etc.

Diseases of other organs and systems that may be accompanied by visual impairment are as follows:

  • diabetes mellitus (diabetic retinopathy);
  • pituitary adenoma;
  • brain tumors;
  • thyroid diseases (diffuse toxic goiter, tumors);
  • hypo- and beriberi (mainly A and B);
  • diseases of the spinal column (osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, deformities, injuries, intervertebral hernia and etc.);
  • hypertension (retinal hemorrhage, retinopathy).
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