Black spots and dots in the eyes. Dark spots in the eyes

Sometimes people get white spots in front of their eyes. Why is this happening? Throughout life, a person’s health suffers due to many factors and reasons. In the modern world, the organs of vision have begun to receive more stress. There are many diseases associated with vision, and any of them should not be left to chance. Even minor formations in the form of white spots before the eyes can be a prerequisite for serious consequences for the visual organs.

Formations in the eyes may vary in color. They manifest as single symptoms and are rarely combined with others. Primary symptoms include the following:

• light flashes;
• pain in the frontal region or back of the head;
• dizziness;

Many signs may indicate transient diseases that become dangerous to vision. Inflammatory processes negatively affect the acuity of perception. A person sees blurry objects for some time or experiences the effect of double objects.

There is a sharp darkening or difficulty adapting to darkness after exposure to the sun. Both black and light ones appear. Formations in the eyes have different shapes, be it circles, ovals or even fancy stars. They are potentially dangerous manifestations of eye diseases that can lead to vision loss.

It happens that a person experiences redness of the cornea. This is also associated with various factors of diseases of the eyeball, which intersect with infections or overstrain of blood vessels.

Types of spots before the eyes:

1. If red spots appear before the eyes, this is normal damage to the capillaries. They are the smallest vessels that deliver blood with oxygen and necessary substances to the eyeball. Capillaries have the feature of “self-defense” and at the slightest negative impact they expand, which leads to unpleasant redness of the eyes.
2. White spots have different manifestation features. They can appear as a clear formation (large or small, which may not be noticed) or a slight cloudiness. These signs are the first signal about the presence of diseases of the lens, cornea or retina. White spots are a dangerous formation on the eyeball.
3. The appearance of yellow spots in the eyes can be accompanied by various ailments in the body. They can float, blink, and appear in bright flashes. The formation can appear after head injuries or with age (usually after 60 years).

White spots before the eyes

The cause of white spots may be:

1. Changes in the lens, its pathology. In this case, cataracts develop. It manifests itself in dense or “light” clouding of the lens itself. The disease can be either congenital or acquired. Cataracts develop due to degenerative changes in the substance of the lens. This pathology usually affects older people.
2. Changes in the cornea of ​​the eye. Initially, it appears as a small spot, which then covers part of the cornea or becomes a significant clouding of the eye. In science, this disease is called leukoma or cataract. After some time, you may find that the leukoma has begun to take on a yellowish tint. can be either passive or active (disease progression).

Various factors encourage the development of symptoms:

1. After infectious pathologies, scars may remain in the cornea of ​​the eye, which develop into an eye disease.
2. If ethyl alcohol, chemicals or toxic substances get into your eyes.
3. After the injury.

The main causes of blurred vision are inflammation or irritation of the organ of vision. For example, a red formation may appear due to infectious diseases. In this case, it will be accompanied by purulent discharge, itching and even blurred vision.

A red spot on the white of the eye may be a ruptured capillary or blood vessel. This happens due to tension in the optic nerve or physical activity.

Weather conditions also cause this symptom - temperature changes, gusts of wind, dust or foreign bodies blown under the eyelid. Such manifestations indicate not only eye diseases, but also blood diseases.

What is the danger of such symptoms?

Any formation on the eyeballs is potentially dangerous. For example, if it appears along with headaches and nausea, then it is likely a precursor to a migraine.

Yellow spots become a side symptom of the underlying disease. It happens that they can change size depending on the lighting. A characteristic feature is that when you look into the distance, you see a floating formation in front of your eyes.

Such signs relate to diseases of the vitreous body, namely its destruction. If a person sees bright flashes, this may mean that the posterior part of the vitreous has detached. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Yellow spots before the eyes can be accompanied by significant vision impairment. In this case, a person has difficulty seeing objects even at close range. This is often caused by swelling of the retina. In this process, fluid accumulates in the central part, or macula.

The tissue in the eye begins to swell. This happens if a person suffers from diabetes or diseases of the cardiovascular system. This manifestation also develops as a result of allergies to medications taken.

Bleeding inside the eye may also occur. Outwardly, it will not appear in the form of red spots, but yellow, brown and even black formations will be visible.

There is also degeneration of the macula, the center of the retina where the light beam is focused. This is an age-related disease. It affects older people. At first, dots may appear before the eyes and the patient’s vision deteriorates.

The disease progresses quickly, and the person is at risk of completely losing his vision. The patient has damage to the retina in the central part.

There is a hereditary Stargardt disease. It is associated with genetic abnormalities. The disease manifests itself at a young age of 6 years. The obvious signs are:

1. Yellow spots before the eyes.
2. Colorblindness.
3. The child sees poorly in the dark.

What to do if spots appear before your eyes?

Whatever formation appears on the eyeball, red or white, it can occur from overstrain of the visual organs. If you give them a rest for a while, then most likely the illness will go away. The intensity of the symptoms will become less and less and they will disappear. The most dangerous are yellow formations. They can be harbingers of serious eye diseases.

In some cases, the cause of spots before the eyes can be systemic diseases of the body. There may have been a hemorrhage in the macula. In this case, medications are prescribed so that the blood resolves and does not accumulate in the macula.

When retinal degeneration occurs, it is usually caused by poor circulation. Therefore, in order to cure the patient, it is necessary to slow down the damage to the macula.

Spots of any kind on the eyeballs are a dangerous problem. You should not resort to self-medication. It can only do harm. You need to immediately consult a doctor to find out an accurate diagnosis and get qualified help.

Video

Suddenly, you suddenly discover that a fog has appeared in front of your eye and a dark spot has appeared. Nothing can be seen. We tried to read with the eye that for some reason had stopped seeing, and realized that we could not distinguish the letters. What is it? If you start treatment on time, you can stop the further development of the disease.

What kind of disease is this?

“Macula” means “spot” in Latin, and “dystrophy” is translated from Greek as “eating disorder.” The macula is the most central, most important, most sensitive part of the retina. Light, refracted in the optical system of the eye, is focused in the macula, in the so-called fovea. It is the macula and the nerves of the fovea that provide us with the sharpest central vision, with the help of which we can distinguish all the small details. So, macular degeneration is characterized by dystrophic changes in the macula, due to which the nerve cells that perceive light are destroyed. As a result, the person gradually loses central vision, but can orient himself in space quite freely, because lateral vision is preserved during macular degeneration.

The cause of macular degeneration is vascular sclerosis and arteriosclerotic changes, as well as impaired blood circulation in the retinal capillaries in the area of ​​the macula. This is why age-related macular degeneration is called sclerotic. This disease is the most common cause of vision loss among people over 60 years of age.

The disease can be inherited, so if you are diagnosed with macular degeneration, then warn your children and grandchildren about it. They may inherit macular characteristics that increase the risk of the disease.

What contributes to the development of macular degeneration

Age. The older a person is, the more likely this disease is to occur. By age 50, only 2% of people have a chance of developing macular degeneration. This figure reaches 30% as soon as a person crosses the age limit of 75 years.

Gender. Women are at greater risk of developing macular degeneration than men.

Bad habits(in particular smoking) and unhealthy diet. Smoking triples the risk of macular degeneration.

How does macular degeneration occur?

Due to circulatory disorders in the capillaries, the retina is destroyed. At the final stage of the disease, a dark spot in front of the eye begins to bother a person. It does not allow you to see what your gaze is directed at. The dark spot becomes larger and darker over time, completely obscuring central vision. This happens because the light-sensitive nerve cells in the central zone of the retina have stopped working normally. And vision deteriorates, and new blood vessels begin to grow behind the retina in the direction of the macula. These newly formed vessels are inferior, defective and have permeable walls that are capable of passing blood and intraocular fluid to the macula.

There are two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet.

Dry macular degeneration

Occurs in most patients. Develops first in only one eye. However, it is impossible to predict when the disease will spread to the second eye, and even an ophthalmologist will not answer this question for sure.

The very first sign of dry macular degeneration is a slight decrease in vision, this is especially noticeable when reading. A brighter light becomes necessary when working painstakingly with small objects. Those patients whose macular degeneration develops in only one eye often do not notice the deterioration of vision for a very long time - after all, with one normally seeing eye you can read and do small work.

Remember: If you have dry macular degeneration, you should see your doctor at least once a year.

Wet macular degeneration

Almost all cases of irreversible vision loss (90%) are due to this form of the disease. The first sign of wet macular degeneration is that straight lines begin to appear wavy.

This optical effect occurs because fluid flows from defective newly formed vessels under the macula. It exfoliates and displaces the nerve cells in the macula, so the shape of the objects the patient is looking at is bent and distorted.

If you experience such changes in your field of vision, you should consult a doctor immediately!

Another symptom is a rapid decrease in vision (in contrast to the slow decrease in visual acuity in the dry form of macular degeneration). The patient is also bothered by a dark spot in the center of the visual field.

Do not delay laser surgery if your doctor recommends it. After it, you need to be regularly monitored by a doctor in order to promptly notice repeated leaks in the walls of blood vessels.

Many eye diseases occur without pronounced symptoms, and macular degeneration is one of these diseases. Neither dry nor wet macular degeneration causes any pain. Most people notice deterioration in vision only when macular degeneration begins to develop in the other eye, and only then do they consult a doctor, who will make a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration.

What will the doctor suggest?

The doctor checks visual acuity using special tables, visual fields, measures intraocular pressure, and examines the fundus in detail.

Can also perform Amsler grid test. The grid is a sheet of checkered paper measuring 10x10 cm, with a black dot in the center to fix vision. You need to cover one eye with your hand and look with the other eye at the black dot in the center of the grid. If straight lines become wavy, and some lines disappear altogether, this is a sign of wet macular degeneration.

If wet macular degeneration is suspected, fluorescein angiography may be necessary. To do this, special paint is injected into a vein in the forearm, and a fundus photograph device allows you to see the passage of paint through the vessels. In this way, newly formed vessels, as well as defects in the vascular wall, become visible.

To keep your vision under control, you can make your own Amsler grid. This test is only suitable for those who still have good eyesight. If there is a curvature of the lines in any sector of the grid, then it’s time to contact a specialist. You can also check your eyes while reading a book or watching a TV show, alternating between one eye and the other.

The doctor prescribes vasodilators, anti-sclerotic, lipotropic drugs, biostimulants that improve tissue metabolism. Consuming foods low in cholesterol is important.

Drugs are taken internally that improve the elasticity of blood vessels and protect them, as well as vasodilators: parmidin (prodectin, angina), rutin, ascorutin, xanthinol nicotinate (complamin), halidor, stugeron, papaverine, no-shpa, nikoshpan, nigexin.

Vitamin preparations and preparations with microelements: gerioptil, vibalt, difarel, senton, trisolvit.

Anti-sclerotic agents: atromidine, methionine, miscleron.

Intramuscularly, doctors prescribe dicynon, 4% solution of taufon, 1% solution of riboflavin mononucleotide, aevit, 2% solution of gerovital, eye injections of emoxypine, taufon.

Biostimulants are used intramuscularly or subcutaneously: aloe, FiBS, peloid distillate.

Microwave therapy: 20 procedures per course. If after the first course there is no improvement, a second course is carried out only after 4–6 months. In between courses of microwave therapy, electrophoresis is sometimes performed with a 1% solution of novocaine.

The doctor can also prescribe ultrasound treatment, 15 procedures per course. After 3–4 months, the course of ultrasound treatment is usually repeated. Electrophoresis is also prescribed.

Remember that the treatment regimen is determined only by the doctor depending on the examination results!

Today, unfortunately, there are no completely effective methods for treating macular degeneration. However, this does not mean that you are at risk of complete loss of vision.

In some cases, laser treatment is recommended - exposure to a laser beam on defective vessels with a thinned and easily permeable wall. This has a positive effect if such vessels are not located directly near the central fovea of ​​the macula. The procedure can stop the deterioration of vision.

How to behave after the procedure

After laser treatment, you will be able to leave the office immediately after the procedure. However, the pupil remains dilated, meaning that you will not have clear vision for several hours, so it is advisable to have someone accompany you on the way home. And be sure to wear sunglasses.

On the first day after the procedure, you may experience blurred vision and mild pain. To eliminate this, certain medications are prescribed. The doctor will also set a date for a follow-up examination to make sure that the procedure has had the desired effect, the blood vessels of the tissue have stopped leaking, and the newly formed vessels are not growing. To get a more complete picture, you will have to go through fluorescein angiography again. If the effect of laser surgery is insufficient, it can be repeated.

However, laser therapy is not a treatment for macular degeneration; it is not aimed at restoring lost vision, but only at stopping its deterioration. After laser treatment, there is a risk that defective vessels will reappear.

What you need to do to avoid macular degeneration:

* to refuse from bad habits;
* visit a doctor regularly;
* monitor blood pressure levels;
* monitor cholesterol and blood sugar levels;
* use sunglasses (bright sunlight is harmful to the macula).

Remember that diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis worsen the course of macular degeneration.

Have you been diagnosed with macular degeneration? There is no need to limit yourself to reading or watching TV. You can watch TV 2-3 hours a day - this will not affect your vision in any way.

If you have significant vision loss and glasses or a magnifying glass no longer help, you need to contact a special vision correction office for the visually impaired, they will help you. There are optical systems that magnify the image and allow you to distinguish small details.

Causes and symptoms of blurred vision, spots in the field of vision
It is necessary to find the location (retina, optic nerve or brain) and cause (circulatory disorders, consequences of injury, inflammation) of visual disorders, because Treatment in these cases will be different. To do this, we have equipment to test the eye as an optical device and to test the neural pathways from the eye to the visual cortex.

Cause of spots in the field of vision: old orbital trauma
(a blow during a fight) with consequences in the form
optic nerve pain.
1 - damaged edge of the orbit and
persistent swelling in the maxillary sinus
sinus.
2 - normal edge of the other's orbit
eyes.

Scotomas (from the Greek skotos - darkness) are defects in the visual field that do not reach its boundaries. They are felt as visible spots in the field of vision or invisible (noticeable only during diagnosis) defects in visual perception. When a scotoma appears, it is important to find its cause:
Perception defect (the eye does not work well as an optical device),
Defect in transmitting visual images to the brain (problems in the optic nerve system).

Floaters and opacities in the eye are usually opaque inclusions floating freely inside the eyeball.
Attacks of darkening in the eyes are usually the result of problems with the vertebral arteries that supply food, including the visual cortex of the brain. These arteries can be damaged if there are problems with the cervical vertebrae.

Most often, we detect vitreous opacification when inclusions similar to cloudy clumps of fibers float in the liquid environment of the eye. This happens with vascular problems (vegetative-vascular dystonia), increased intracranial pressure, metabolic disorders (increased cholesterol in the blood, for example).

The cause of "flashes in the eyes" in
girls had a focus of demyelination in
hemispheres of the brain, in
close proximity to
visual cortex.
The hearth is circled
demyelination. During examination
presence was established
neuroinfections.

When there are defects in the retina or optic nerve, damage to the optic nerve causes scotoma, i.e. a spot in the visual field in which the image is not perceived or is somehow distorted, for example, a certain color is not perceived.

The same symptoms occur when the visual pathway inside the brain is disrupted.

Diagnostics and treatment at the Echinacea clinic
Treatment must be targeted. It works when the “culprit” of visual disturbances (turbidity) is clearly identified - the lens, vitreous body, retina, optic nerve or optical tract of the brain.

The retina, optic nerve and brain pathways are mainly examined in several ways:
1. Study of visual fields on the computer perimeter. Here visible and invisible scotomas are identified. Based on the size, shape and spatial position of scotomas, one can conclude about the location of the disturbance of the visual pathways of the optic nerve and its degree.
2. Visual evoked potentials. Study of the speed and volume of nerve impulses from the retina to the cerebral cortex. Provides information about the location and degree of disturbance of the visual pathways of the nervous system. A very sensitive method for studying and assessing the rate of vision loss/restoration. We often use it to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment (we can quickly reconsider treatment if it is ineffective).
3. MRI of the optic nerves and brain provides information about the presence of structural disorders of the optic nerves and brain.
4. Examination of the vessels of the head and neck provides information about the degree of circulatory disturbance.

In order to properly treat, we must understand the cause of spots and blurred vision. They can be associated with the optical structures of the eye, and with the retina, and with the optic nerve, and with those parts of the brain that ensure the conduction and perception of the signal coming from the eye to the brain.

We will be happy to help you!

Treatment of spots in the field of vision and blurred vision. Treatment at the Echinacea Clinic
In our clinic, a neuro-ophthalmologist will help you, who will understand in detail the reasons for what is happening to you and offer the best solution for this situation.

If the vitreous is cloudy, we will offer resolving treatment. Absorbable treatment works slowly but usually leads to improvement. The drugs are safe and can be used for quite a long time. Of course, at the same time you need to put your blood vessels, metabolism and autonomic nervous system in order.

If there is a problem with the optic nerve, retina, or brain:
1. We will solve the problem at the level of the source of the disease. If these are problems related to blood circulation or blockage of blood vessels, we provide adequate vascular treatment. If the cause is an infection, we treat the infection. If autoimmune disorders - treatment of the underlying autoimmune disease.
2. We will stimulate the regeneration of the damaged part of the optic tract. We mainly use magnetic stimulation and drugs of peptide origin - proteins that are part of the nervous system, retina and optic nerve. They stimulate tissue regeneration well. This treatment is safe and can be carried out over a long period of time (the nervous system needs time to recover).

Magnetic stimulation of the optic nerve and affected parts of the brain. The essence of the procedure is that an electromagnetic coil creates the induction of a small electric current in the nerve pathways. Electrical stimulation stimulates the nerve and brain pathways to regenerate. Usually we see quite tangible results.

If a person notices the periodic appearance of spots in the eyes, he needs to immediately identify the cause of the disturbance. This may be the first sign of serious pathologies. Patients often complain to ophthalmologists that a dark floating spot has appeared in the eye. This indicates the onset of dystrophy under the influence of vascular sclerosis.

Pathology develops gradually, starting with small dark spots. At first they seem to be insignificant interferences; they are not given due diagnostic attention. Such disorders affect the vitreous body. This is an anatomical magnifying glass that helps the eye focus. It casts light on the macula in the fovea, where the nerves are located. These nerves are needed to view the world around us.
If vitreous opacification occurs due to heterogeneous adherent fibers, light does not reach the point of differentiation correctly. Shading of different diameters and shapes occurs.
So, when dark spots appear before the eyes, the reasons for the deviation may be problems with the internal system:

• Vessels - sclerosis provokes turbidity in the vitreous body.
• Spinal column - chondrosis causes spasm in the eye vessels.
• The endocrine glands are usually the pancreas, which provokes diabetes mellitus and various dystrophies.
• Autonomic nervous system - dysfunction affects the state of the senses, especially the visual.
• CNS – responsible for the innervation of the eyes.

Spots before the eyes develop after 40 years, but there are exceptions. Usually the disorder is diagnosed in females; doctors attribute this to active hormonal levels, which during some periods of life (pregnancy, menopause) change greatly, causing stress in the body.
Great mental and excessive physical stress, prolonged exposure to unfavorable weather conditions, and harmful addictions are serious risk factors for visual impairment.

Causes of floating dark spots

Floating black spots in the eye, when you look for the first time, cause concern in a person and indicate a threat to health. You should immediately find out all the nuances of this condition.


Some floating spots do not indicate threats, but others are symptoms of dangerous disorders, the treatment of which requires consultation with an ophthalmologist. These dots look like noise, moving smoothly along the field of view. This is not an optical illusion at all, but microscopic foreign bodies in the vitreous body. When displaced, they are shaded on the retina - a person sees this, it becomes cloudy for him to look. The following are the serious causes of the pathology:

1. Usually the cause is age-related changes - as the eyes age, the condition of the vitreous worsens - it liquefies, bends, moves inside the eyeball, and sometimes thickens.
2. Also, dark spots in the eyes become a consequence of detachment of the retina from the vitreous body. In this case, irritation of the retina provokes “flashes” before the eyes. During displacement of the vitreous body and retina, ring-shaped spots can form that the patient sees. The separation pulls part of the retina with it, then the blood penetrates into the vitreous body. It looks like a multiple accumulation of small dots and requires urgent medical attention.
3. Black and brown dots may be small particles of proteins or other substances that accidentally entered the eye during the prenatal period.

At-risk groups

People at increased risk of developing the described disorders include:

• Patients with diabetes. With the disease, a dark spot often appears because the detachment of the retina from the vitreous occurs at a faster rate.
• Patients with metabolic disorders, people with vitamin deficiency. These conditions are triggered by poor nutrition and a lack of essential vitamins in the diet.
• All this provokes the death of eye cells.
• People with pathologies of the vascular system. a burst vessel is the cause of the formation of a blood clot in the vitreous body. This causes dark spots to form.
• People who have a history of head or eye trauma. Burns and mechanical injuries also lead to the death of tissues and cells and the formation of many dark small spots.
• Patients with complications from viruses or inflammation that have affected the retina.
• Patients after eye surgery.

When is a doctor's visit necessary?

Consultation with a doctor is required even when the symptom does not bother the person and does not impair visual acuity. An increase in the number of spots is a dangerous sign and a reason for an urgent visit to an ophthalmologist.
The following factors should be grounds for urgently visiting a doctor:

1. Rapid onset of vision problems due to the presence of dark spots. disturbances may appear as flashes of light when a person looks at a uniformly colored background.
2. A strong increase in the intensity of opacities.
3. The appearance of a “curtain” that obscures most of the field of vision of one eye.

Correction methods

When the darkening appears suddenly, the condition is accompanied by an unexpected deterioration in vision and pain - most likely, the person needs professional help.
The doctor has methods for diagnosing the problem:

• visual field check;
• establishing fundus pressure;
• ophthalmoscopy;
• biomicroscopy.

All procedures are carried out painlessly.

Principles of treatment

Dark areas of the eyes are indicated for treatment when clouding increases. For this purpose, intensive resorption therapy is organized. Medicines are prescribed for metabolism in the vitreous body. These include Emoxipin eye drops, Wobenzym tablets and analogues. It is necessary to take a course of vitamin complexes as prescribed by the doctor. Physiotherapeutic procedures can achieve good correction results. Sometimes it is not possible to do without surgery.

1. With cervical osteochondrosis, normalizing the condition of the visual organs will require a change in lifestyle - more movement, playing healthy sports.
2. If you have high blood pressure, you first need to normalize it and maintain it at an optimal level.
3. Vascular disease requires additional hospitalization. The same applies to the situation with retinal detachment and its destruction.

Only a doctor correctly determines the degree of danger when a spot floats in front of the eye. Conservative therapy involves maintaining health at a normal level and strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
In addition to complexes of vitamins and minerals, the patient is advised to periodically take medications that will expand the lumen of blood vessels and relieve spasms. Biostimulant medications are required. The doctor chooses those that do not provoke an increase in blood pressure. In case of advanced pathology, treatment is carried out with electrophoresis and microwave ultrasound therapy.

Prevention measures

Prevention of any visual impairment is a healthy lifestyle. This includes giving up smoking, alcohol, and regular exercise, which would have a positive effect on the condition of the blood vessels and spine, rather than depressing their health.
The formation of dark spots is a reason to take your health seriously. Initially, you need to go to a doctor to diagnose the disorders, and then follow all the recommendations.

With age, a person's vision deteriorates and there comes a time when he begins to notice spots that appear when looking at objects. So-called “floaters” are observed that move in the field of view. This is a symptom of various disorders in the functioning of the visual system, which require immediate treatment. Ignoring such a symptom can lead to serious vision problems and even blindness.

The main causes of dark spots

Factors that cause the appearance of “floaters” in the field of vision include:

1. 1. Overwork of the eye lens. Working at a computer for a long time, reading small print, reading in transport or in low light. At the same time, the performance of the motor apparatus of the eyes decreases, and objects become blurred when moving the gaze. All this leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of the lens and retina, which will subsequently cause the development of myopia.
2. 2. Impact of external factors. The short-term appearance of dark spots in the eyes is caused by sudden exposure to light, especially if the person was previously in the dark. The light burns the retina of the eye, and dark spots appear in this place, which disappear after 10-15 minutes. After a light shock, there may be flashes and reflections of different colors in the eyes: white, yellow, red and others, if you look at the light.
3. 3. High blood pressure. Pressure with an upper reading of more than 120 units is considered elevated. It is accompanied by headache, general weakness and the appearance of dark spots in the eyes.
4. 4. Degenerative changes in the vitreous body of the eye. This small part of the organ of vision is located between the lens and the retina and is responsible for color sensitivity. Pathological changes destroy the solid form of the vitreous body, turning it into a kind of jelly. At first, a person observes small dark dots on the periphery of vision, over time they move to the center and may even appear on the pupil. This disease is typical for older people, especially if they already have vision problems. Ignoring the problem will lead to detachment of the retina from the vitreous and complete blindness. This destructive process is called macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a disease that affects the central, most important part of the retina - the macula, which provides visual perception of objects. Age-related destruction of this part of the eye is the most common cause of vision loss in people aged 50 years and older. WHO statistics show that the number of older people susceptible to this disease is almost 21% and is only increasing from year to year.

In recent years, there has been a decrease in the age of patients; the disease is increasingly diagnosed in people aged 40 to 50 years. Such destructive changes are associated not only with age: existing diseases and bad habits are important catalysts for the onset of pathology.

Causes

Diseases that provoke changes in the macula are as follows:

1. 1. Vascular atherosclerosis.
2. 2. Poor blood circulation in the retina.
3. 3. Hypertension.
4. 4. Oncological diseases.
5. 5. Diabetes mellitus.

The presence of any of the above diseases can cause a black spot to appear in the eyes, and this is a serious reason to consult an ophthalmologist and carry out the necessary studies and tests.

Possible causes of the disease are also alcohol abuse, smoking and poor diet.

Development of the disease

Disruption of the blood circulation process in the ocular vessels is the first stage of pathological changes. At this stage, a person begins to see dark spots in the corners of the eyes. Over time, these spots increase in size, and vision continues to deteriorate, and the normal functioning of nerve cells is disrupted. At the second stage, new tissues are formed in place of damaged nerves, but they are not able to fully replenish the lost cells, as a result of which the functions of blood vessels and cells are not performed. Such changes are noticeable in the whites of the eyes of people suffering from this disease.

There are two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet. In the dry form of the disease, first one eye is affected, then the other. This form is diagnosed in 85% of all cases of the disease. The gradual decline of central vision deprives patients of the ability to distinguish objects and small details. A cloudy spot appears that floats in front of the eyes and does not allow normal vision. This form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progresses to other, more serious eye diseases that can lead to complete loss of vision.

Therapy

There are currently no radical measures that can be used to treat AMD of this form. The use of vitamins A, C, E can slow the progression of macular degeneration of the eye. Research shows that the use of these groups of vitamins can prevent the development of the disease in the early stages. If you have a dry form of the disease, you must wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from sunlight, which negatively affects the organs of vision and aggravates the disease. The wet form of the disease is diagnosed in 10-15% of cases. It develops quickly and leads to significant vision loss within a short period of time. The reason is that the blood vessels that form in place of the damaged ones are defective. The walls of such vessels allow fluid to pass through, which accumulates under the retina. This leads to damage to the light-sensitive fibers of the retina, which, when dying, leave dead spots in the central field of vision. Such an erroneous program of the body to restore lost blood vessels gradually leads to complete loss of vision.