Blindness - causes and diseases that cause vision loss. Causes and symptoms of blindness

Blindness is a pronounced degree of developmental anomalies and visual impairments, in which visual perception is impossible or very limited.

Causes

The main causes of blindness include:

• Optic macular degeneration
• Corneal opacity
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Onchocerciasis
• Keratomalacia and xerophthalmia
• Injuries, infections, poisoning by certain chemicals

Blindness in children can be caused by vitamin A deficiency, cataracts and retinopathy in prematurity.

Symptoms of blindness

People who have no visual sensations are considered blind. At the same time, they may have light perception and residual vision in the eye, which sees better within 0.01 - 0.05D with correction by glasses or contact lenses.

People with blindness cannot perceive the color, shape, size of objects and their location in space. Therefore, it is difficult for them to navigate in space, and the formation of movements is delayed. At the same time, blind people have an enhanced orienting reaction to sound.

Vision loss can be sudden or gradual if the cause is a medical condition.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of vision loss is carried out by an ophthalmologist. It tests visual acuity, measures the width of visual fields, color vision each eye separately.

Types of disease

Distinguish the following types blindness:

• Total (absolute). Visual sensations in both eyes are completely absent. The pupil does not react to light
• Practical. This species is characterized by residual vision and preserved color and light perception

There are some specific types of blindness:

• Colorblindness. Characterized by the inability to distinguish colors. Visual acuity is usually normal
• Night blindness. The symptom is the inability to distinguish surrounding objects in twilight and partial darkness. In the vast majority of cases, patients with this pathology have normal visual acuity during daylight hours
• Snow blindness. Manifested by deterioration or complete absence visual perception caused by exposure to powerful UV radiation. This type of blindness usually goes away over time and never causes complete blindness.

Blindness, as a visual impairment, can be temporary or permanent.

Patient Actions

Contact your ophthalmologist if you experience the following symptoms:

• Decreased visual acuity
• Appearance of glare, spots, veils, narrowing of visual fields, loss of parts of visual fields
• Got it in the eye foreign object or an eye injury has occurred

Need to call ambulance in the following cases:

• Penetrating eye injury
• Eye burn
• Sharp pain in the eye of a bursting nature, redness, enlargement of the eye
• Black spots suddenly appeared, visual fields disappear

Treatment of blindness

Some types of total blindness are reversible. In particular, vision lost due to cataracts, inflammatory and infectious diseases, is recovering after treatment of the underlying disease. For acute vision loss (for example, retinal detachment), surgical or laser treatment is possible.

Treatment depends on the cause of blindness. If the cause is a dysfunction optic nerve, or the lack of vision is caused by a cerebral hemorrhage, it is usually impossible to restore vision. The patient needs psychological assistance and in learning to move without vision control.

A modern achievement in the treatment of blindness is artificial visual system"bionic eye"

Complications

Blindness in children (from birth or acquired in early age) causes some delay in the development of motor skills and spoken language.

In children and adults, blindness impairs quality of life and can cause emotional problems and difficulties with social adjustment.

You've probably all seen blind people, but have you ever asked them why this happened? I worked with blind people, and when I first came into their community and looked at their medical histories, I was speechless for a while. 90% of people were born with good eyesight, and lost it only later.

What are the main reasons that people become visually impaired?

1. Retinal detachment

2. Glaucoma and cataracts

3. Medical manipulation of the eyes

Life story

Natalya is 36 years old. Five years ago, three months before giving birth, her husband left her, her vision dropped to -7 within a week, and during childbirth her retina detached. His vision deteriorates to the point that he can’t even see his nails clearly. Two operations in Odessa clinic did not improve vision even by 1%. It cost about 7000 USD. They offer a third one, without a single guarantee.

So what is this terrible diagnosis— “Retinal detachment” and who is at risk?

Where is this part of the eye - the retina - located and how does it work.

Nowadays it is fashionable to compare the work of the eyes with the work of a film camera. So, the retina is in inside eyes opposite the pupil. This is a thin film, a kind of mesh, consisting of photosensitive cells that react to light. It depends on her: whether a person will see at all. If the eye is a “camera”, then the retina is a “film”. If something happens to her, then any light will be “not a big deal” for a person.

When a person's eye is functioning normally, as evidenced by good vision, the retina is tightly attached to the supporting tissue of the eye. And detachment is its separation from it. In this case, its connection with the nerve fibers that send signals to the brain is disrupted. Like a broken wire in an electrical network.

In the most great danger there are nearsighted people.

At the same time, than worse vision, the more danger they are exposed to. Any blow to the head severe stress etc. can lead to fatal consequences.

The person does not experience pain.

Imagine that yesterday you could see well, but after an accident, today you are visually impaired to such an extent that you can no longer write or read. Your life will change dramatically and will never be the same.

Warning signs of retinal detachment

√ If you suddenly notice floating spots, flashes of light;

√ If vision becomes blurry or poor;

√ If you see a shadow or curtain falling from the top of the eye or from the bottom side.

These signs may increase gradually as the retina will begin to move away from the supporting tissue, or may appear unexpectedly if the retina detaches suddenly.

About one in seven people with sudden onset of flares and floating particles have this problem.

There are alarming cases where retinal detachment has occurred after LASIK surgery in extremely myopic people. (-8-20D)

Surgery to remove cataracts, tumors, eye diseases and chronic diseases diseases such as diabetes and anemia can also cause retinal detachment.

Famous people who had retinal detachment

Journalist, publisher and political figure Joseph Pulitzer. He became blind in both eyes when he was over 40.

Soccer star Pele;

Theodore Roosevelt loved boxing. In a match during his presidency, he was hit in the head, which newspapers reported caused partial blindness in his left eye.

Treatment of retinal detachment

Medicine offers surgically just repair the retina.

Types of surgery

Scleroplasty. This is the most common retinal surgery. A small group of silicone or plastic compresses are placed on the outside of the eye (sclera). These “buckles” tighten the eye, thereby allowing the retina to attach to inner wall eyes again. I personally have not met a single person who would have been radically helped by this operation. For a very short time (a week or two), the person saw a little better, then everything returned.

Vitrectomy.

Pneumatic retinopexy.

Retinal reattachment surgery is not always successful. Success depends on the location, cause, and extent of the retinal detachment, along with other factors.

In addition, successful retinal attachment does not guarantee normal vision. If a person wears glasses, he will still need them.

You ask: what to do, how to protect yourself?

Yes, everything is the same, my friends - we need to restore the functioning of our eyes. That is, eliminate the cause of all these troubles. After all, eye diseases are not independent diseases - they are consequences of functional impairment of the eyes. A poor eyesight- this is a witness of disrupted work, good - of normal work.

And, of course, I as a teacher natural way Correcting vision and restoring eye health, I offer the most reliable way, proven for a century - a method developed by Dr. William Bates.

I owe my good eyesight to him, and hundreds of my students give him glory and honor for long life my eyes, and I wish the same for you. Join us. Sign up for my online courses. Or purchase video discs for the whole family. Take advantage of my 10 years of experience. I advise all my students for life.

Yes, you may ask, what happened to my student Natalya. So on the 4th day of classes, she saw her nails and burst into tears with... happiness.

Want to ? Don't be shy, I'll definitely answer!

Excess weight can lead to blindness

This is true! Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, which is the leading cause of blindness in adults. Find out how to lose weight in our special project “ Lose the excess weight ".

Sitting too close to a TV or computer screen can damage your eyes.

This turned out to be untrue! According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, watching TV is not harmful to your eyes. This also applies to computer use and going to movie theaters. If you sit too close to the screen or work on the computer a lot, your eyes may tire more quickly, but this is easy to fix: just remember to give your eyes time to rest.

Decorative contact lenses absolutely safe

It is not true. Decorative contact lenses are goods medical purposes and should be sold in pharmacies, and not in cosmetics stores. Moreover, your doctor should perform an examination to determine how your eyes respond to wearing lenses. What other dangers do contact lenses hide?

Laser pointers may cause eye damage

But this is really true! A laser beam aimed directly at the eye can cause eye damage, especially if it is a high-power laser. If used carelessly, laser beams (even if the laser itself is only part of a child's toy) can be very dangerous and cause visual impairment and even blindness.

Eating carrots in large quantities good for vision

Over-the-counter eye drops can be used every day

This is wrong. Doctors do not recommend using drops that relieve red eyes for a long time. Although at the beginning of use they contribute to the narrowing blood vessels and really reduce redness, prolonged use leads to reverse effect, it is the drops that can cause redness in your eyes. So it is best to use such products for 1-2 days if necessary.

Smoking increases the risk of going blind

This is true. Smoking is important factor risk of developing macular degeneration (a disease that kills nerve cells central, most important departments retina), which leads to impairment of central vision. Other risk factors include genetics, diet, exposure to bright sun rays, cardiovascular diseases and high arterial pressure.

Be sure to take note of all of the above: this information will help you maintain the health of your eyes for a long time. And don’t forget to regularly check your vision with a specialist.

The list of factors that lead to vision impairment is very long and varied. One of them is time.

As we age, the lens inside the eye becomes thicker and cloudier due to the formation of cataracts. This leads to the appearance of hazy spots in the field of view, blurry images, blinding haloes around light sources and deterioration of night vision.

The time factor is also associated with changes occurring in the area macular spot - part of the eye that provides the perception of objects when looking straight ahead. Prolonged exposure to sunlight and other factors damages blood vessels and other structures in the area of ​​the spot. This is the main reason for most cases of sharp decline in vision after 60 years. This gradual process is called age-related degeneration macula. In the area of ​​the macula, tissue slowly shrinks, which leads to a weakening of the ability to distinguish small details of objects located in the center of the visual field. People with similar degenerative changes In the area of ​​the macula, it is often noticed that words become torn and clusters of letters appear. They detect missing letters in words on signs or small writing on labels food products. Objects with straight outlines, such as a door frame, take on a wavy, warped appearance.

Macular degeneration can be caused by other reasons: genetics, diet, smoking, and exposure to sunlight. That's why all Russians, especially those over 45, should have their eyes checked regularly - in most cases, this is the only way to prevent vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration. Those who neglect regular checkups with an ophthalmologist risk irreversible vision problems, blindness and life-threatening accidents.

Sudden vision loss may be due to retinal tear, which can happen when eye injury, stroke and even a migraine attack. Acute obstruction Central retinal artery disease occurs suddenly and is accompanied by sudden loss of vision, most often in one eye. The cause is spasm, thrombosis or embolism of the artery. More common in patients hypertension. May occur in young people suffering endocarditis, heart disease, chronic infectious diseases.

At glaucoma Loss of vision occurs due to the fact that fluid forms inside the eye, which leads to increased intraocular pressure leads to damage to the optic nerves.

Hemofgalm is characterized by extensive hemorrhage into the vitreous body, resulting in a sharp decrease in vision. Hemophthalmos develops as a result of rupture of blood vessels choroid, less often the retina. More often occurs as a result of eye injury - contusion or penetrating wound, less often as a result of diseases of cardio-vascular system, in particular arterial hypertension, diabetes (diabetic retinopathy).

Symptoms Vision decreases sharply, sometimes to the point of blindness. Blood is detected in the vitreous body. There is no fundus reflex; the fundus cannot be seen. As resorption progresses, hemorrhage or destruction develops vitreous, or its organization occurs with the development of cords.

Cortical blindness. Sudden loss of vision may occur with bilateral lesions lower lips calcarine groove of the occipital lobe. Sometimes complete blindness is preceded by hemianopsia. Most common cause cortical blindness is a disorder cerebral circulation in patients with hypertension, atherosclerosis, in case of poisoning with various drugs and other chemicals active substances.

Symptoms Sudden total loss vision with preservation of the pupil's reaction to light in the absence of a blink reflex, as well as disorientation of patients in space and time.

Poor circulation in carotid artery. When occurring in the carotid artery thrombosis, embolism or pronounced stenosis symptoms of cross amaurosis-hemiplegic syndrome develop. This syndrome can also be caused by vasospasm or a reflex drop in pressure in regional vessels due to pathological reflexes from the carotid sinus when it is irritated.

Symptoms. According to the side of the lesion, with a decrease or absence of pulsation of the carotid artery, a sharp decrease in vision or its complete loss develops with a weakening or absence of pupillary reactions. Thrombosis of the central retinal artery may also occur. From common symptoms hemiplegia or hypoparesis of the limbs opposite to the side of the lesion of the carotid artery is detected.

Diabetes mellitus and its complications– one of the most important medical, social and economic problems of modern healthcare. In the structure of disability and mortality of patients suffering from diabetes, the leading position is occupied by it late complications. Since their likelihood increases with increasing life expectancy, this problem is very relevant, especially if we take into account the preventive focus of modern diabetology.

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. It is manifested by damage to the blood vessels of the retina; it is a progressive disease that affects central vision, leading to its gradual loss. According to calculations based on international analysis, every 20th Russian is now at risk of this disease.

Early detection and treatment through peripheral laser photocoagulation of the retina stops the progression diabetic retinopathy and allows you to preserve vision in more than 80% of cases. IN last years Treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy with the help of diode laser, That is effective means in reducing the risk of vision loss.

Is it possible to go blind from a computer? How many hours a day can you spend in front of a monitor? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Today, many people use a computer every day. And for office workers it has become an indispensable tool. Is it possible to go blind from a computer? We’ll find out below.

Experts' opinion

Many people ask whether it is possible to go blind from a computer. It is known that the monitor provokes and causes excessive visual tension. Often, after working at a computer for a long time, a person even starts to have a headache. Therefore, this has a negative effect on the state of the body.

But experts say that if you spend even 14 hours a day at a PC, a person cannot go blind.

Hygiene rules

So is it possible to go blind from a computer? Active use PC is fraught with excessive eye strain (as we discussed above) and even a decrease in visual acuity. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely avoid such damage. At the current level of technology evolution, it is extremely reliable protection from the influence of the monitor is not provided.

And yet the harm to the computer can be minimized. It is enough just to follow the rules of visual hygiene. If a person spends too long looking at the monitor, his eyes will get tired. But even those who spend up to 14 hours at a PC every day do not lose their vision. This is dictated by the ability to provide acceptable eye protection.

You should look away from your PC monitor every 20 minutes. It is enough to look out the window or into the distance for just 20 seconds. It is also necessary to remember that glare on the monitor increases eye fatigue. To prevent vision impairment, place the monitor below eye level. This will prevent pain from occurring in the neck.

The ideal distance from the visual organs to the PC screen is considered to be 50-70 cm. But if this is not met, there is no need to bend or stretch to achieve the required position. It is important that you do not feel discomfort when working at the computer.

Now you know the answer to the question: can you go blind from a computer if you sit in front of it a lot? By the way, don't forget about good rest from labor activity behind the monitor. Experts also strongly advise visiting eye doctor at least once a year. This will help track the status visual function.

Details

So now you know that going blind from a PC is probably unlikely. But visual organs adapt to the computer, so there is a risk of developing myopia. After all, if a person is in confined spaces for too long, the eyes adapt to short distances.

Myopia develops more often in those who work at a PC than in those who repeatedly look into the distance and are constantly open spaces. By the way, only 3-4% of the total population are biologically predisposed to myopia. Mostly these are children.

Why do many blame PCs for vision deterioration?

When working at a PC, a person is under stress, which is not associated with responsibility for the work that he performs. The reason is that the PC is placed too close. WITH biological point From a perspective, everything that is nearby is more dangerous than what is far away.

That's why it's not so much the PC itself, but the tension experienced from tracking nearby objects. Because of this, we blink less often and our eyes dry out, especially in conditions of unnatural heating. Irritation occurs eyeball turns red. If you read texts from a sheet of paper, the consequences will be identical.

How to protect your eyes?

During the heating season, you can place humidifiers in the room where you work. If your eyes are dry, you can also use tear replacement drops, which your eye doctor will prescribe.

Rare blinking, dry air, working at a short distance lead to a feeling of discomfort. Do you think it's in your eyes? foreign body, you feel a burning sensation - these are all symptoms of visual computer syndrome. And if a person works daily at a PC in a room with dry air, the symptoms will worsen.

PC glasses

Glasses for working on a PC represent a kind of barrier that creates a special microclimate around the eye. They are probably working in this area. But it is unlikely that color filters in glasses can somehow reduce the load on the visual organs. Regardless of whether a person works with or without glasses, the surface of the eye dries out as blinking slows down.

Safe norm

An adult can work at the monitor as much as he needs. But you should also take breaks at least every 40 minutes: relax, rest, blink well, look into the distance, put moisturizing drops into your eyes.

Contact lenses

Everyone knows that contact lenses are on the surface of the eye. That's why they can, like foreign body, call inflammatory reaction. Add the dryness that appears due to infrequent blinking - and the visual organs become inflamed.

If you wear contact lenses while working on a computer, visit your eye doctor once every 6 months. If recommended, use special moisturizing drops.

By the way, to improve the stability of the retina, take vitamins as recommended by your doctor.

The effect of monitors on children's vision

Is it possible to go blind from a computer after 10 years? We invite you to familiarize yourself with a short list of tips on how to reduce bad influence tablet, PC and smartphone monitors on children’s vision.

1. If you try to hide all this equipment from the kids for a long time, there will be no trouble. Remember that all these technologies are not recommended for children under two years of age.
2. The older your child is, the more time he can spend on the PC: from 3 to 5 years - 15 minutes. per day, 6-7 years - 20-25 minutes, 8 years - 40 minutes, 9-10 years - no more than 1.5 hours (necessarily with breaks).

It will be much more difficult to control your child later, since he will already become quite old. And even today, 1.5 hours a day on a PC is too little, since almost all preparation for lessons is carried out using this machine.

It’s better to teach your child to do eye exercises and take breaks every hour. Teach your child to personal example- It won't hurt you to work like that either. As long as vision exists, it must be protected, and not saved when it is already hopelessly damaged.

Distance is the law. Teach kids from an early age proper operation with any computer devices. And here it is not only important to maintain the correct distance, correct posture also plays a big role.

Smartphones

We continue to find out whether it is possible to go blind from a computer and a telephone. Smartphones (phones) are not a toy. Even though they are trying to make them so. Smartphones have very small screens, so they put a huge strain on your eyesight.

If you want to give your child a gift, it’s better to buy him a tablet with a diagonal of 9.7-10.1 cm. Always buy high-quality devices. Cheap things are good when they are disposable. And here computer technology should be of high quality, then the impact of the monitor on the baby’s eyes can be minimized. This rule also applies to adults.

By the way, forget about using your smartphone in a dark room. After all, the bright backlight of the screen, coupled with a lack of lighting, is very harmful to the eyes. Use your phone only in daylight or in a well-lit room.

Always keep your smartphone at least 40 cm away from your face. The closer you place it to your eyes, the faster you will become myopic.

What if you already have myopia?

Some people wonder if it is possible to become computer blind if you are nearsighted. Experts recommend that people with myopia reduce their working hours at the PC, take breaks more often, and relax on vacation and on weekends.

Doctors also advise performing eye exercises (movements in directions, squinting, rotation, etc.) and general strengthening exercises. They say that when normal conditions labor can stop the progression of myopia.

Doctors say that it is best in this case to work 3-4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon with hourly breaks of 15 minutes. On weekends you need to rest, as an exception, a couple of hours at the PC, no more. It is not recommended to work in the evening or at night. Take care of your eyesight and be healthy!