Decreased visual acuity. The oculomotor nerves and muscles responsible for eye movement. Gradual or abrupt narrowing of the field of vision

It is no secret to anyone that visual function deteriorates over the years, because the inevitable aging spares no one. If in old age this process affects both eyes, then the cause is most likely age-related changes in the body. However, if visual impairment occurs in one eye, then this symptom may be a manifestation of a pathological process, and it may also develop at a younger age.

Why can vision deteriorate in one eye?

There can be many reasons for visual impairment in one eye, a similar symptom manifests itself, for example, in the following conditions:

• retinal damage;
• pathology of the cornea and lens;
• some general somatic diseases (for example, diabetes mellitus);
• eye injury;
• strabismus;
• amblyopia.

Making an accurate diagnosis with such symptoms is difficult, additional research is required. Visual impairment can be both persistent and temporary, and is not always associated with any disease. It can also be caused by stress, overwork, very long work at the computer, lack of sleep, etc. Temporary disorders often do not require any therapy and resolve on their own after a while.

Persistent visual impairments are associated either with pathologies of the optical system of the eye (cornea, lens, vitreous body and retina), or with innervation disorders. Often, decreased vision in one eye accompanies diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes mellitus, in which the vessels of the retina are damaged. If black circles or a veil appear before the eyes, an urgent need to consult a doctor, as this may indicate a rupture or detachment of the retina. This condition requires urgent surgical intervention.

In addition, visual impairment in one eye may be a sign of keratitis, which often occurs after an acute respiratory viral infection when wearing contact lenses. In any study, you must definitely get a specialist consultation and, if necessary, conduct a complete ophthalmological examination in order to avoid possible very serious consequences.

Treatment for decreased vision in one eye

An accurate and complete diagnosis plays an important role in the treatment of this symptom, since the treatment in each case depends on the cause of visual impairment. For example, for the treatment of keratitis after SARS, eye drops with anti-inflammatory and regenerating drugs are used, and in case of retinal detachment, an immediate surgical operation is required. Therefore, with a decrease in vision in one eye, you should not postpone a visit to an ophthalmologist, the possibility of maintaining the ability of the eye to see may depend on the speed of treatment.

The ARTOKS clinic offers consultations of highly qualified ophthalmologists, accurate diagnostics using modern equipment and effective treatment of any pathologies of the visual system. Our experienced specialists will help you see the world with new eyes and enjoy life.

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A sharp deterioration in vision greatly changes the quality of life. The reasons for this may be different. When vision gradually falls, a person manages to adapt to violations. But the rapid loss of the visual ability of the eye causes panic, can plunge into severe depression. After all, more than 90% of the information received from the outside is provided by the eyes. To preserve vision, you need to pay attention to the eyes not sporadically (from time to time), but constantly. The visual function of the eyes also depends on the state of the body as a whole. Why does a person begin to see badly?

The first symptoms of impaired visual function are considered to be the inability to qualitatively distinguish the contours of more or less distant objects, the blurry picture, the “veil” before the eyes, the inability to read, etc. The loss of good quality of vision can be associated not only with defects in the visual organs themselves. A drop in visual acuity, its loss can be a symptom of serious systemic diseases of the body. The pathological condition of the eyes can be temporary (passing) or permanent, persistent.

Loss or deterioration of visual ability can be:

• bilateral - the lesion is most often the cause of a neurogenic disorder;
• unilateral - usually associated with a local problem (eye tissue defect, local vascular pathology).

Why does vision fall rapidly, suddenly? The causes of a sharp, spontaneous loss of visual viability of the eyes (one or two) are usually classified as ophthalmic (directly related to the physiology and anatomy of the eyes) and general - those causes that are associated with various common diseases of the body.

Not always the loss of the main function of the eye is associated with organic disorders of the body.

Visual acuity may temporarily, but sharply decrease due to overwork, constant lack of sleep, prolonged stay in front of a computer monitor, especially if a person’s daily work activity is associated with it.

Ophthalmic factors

Spontaneous decrease in the ability of one or both eyes to see well, its complete or partial loss are the result of many ophthalmic pathologies:

1. Injuries (mechanical, chemical) of the visual organs. We are talking about bruises of the eyeball, thermal burns, the ingress of aggressive chemicals into the eye, foreign objects, and fractures of the orbit. Particularly severe wounds are caused by piercing and cutting agents, the loss of the eye's ability to see is often the result of their impact. Chemical agents often affect not only the surface layer, but also the deeper structures of the eyeball.
2. Hemorrhage in the retina. The reasons for this may be different - excessive physical activity, fragility of the vascular walls, prolonged labor, venous stasis, intraocular hypertension.
3. Acute eye infections (usually affecting not one, but both eyes) - fungal, viral, bacterial. This includes blennorrhea, conjunctivitis of various etiologies, keratitis, ulcers of the eye membranes. The loss of visual quality is usually transient.
4. Detachment of the retina and eyeball, their breaks.
5. Optical neuropathy. The nature of the lesion is ischemic. Suddenly there is a fall - usually one-sided - of vision, pain is absent. Examination reveals false edema of the optic nerve, pallor of the retina.
6. Retinal migraine is characterized by a monocular scotoma (blind spot in the visual field). Its appearance is associated with discirculation in the central artery of the retina. It can alternate with another type of migraine - ophthalmic, in which attacks of a sharp headache are associated with visual dysfunction (sparks before the eyes, flashing, scotomas).

All of these pathological conditions are acute. If your vision deteriorates sharply, you should immediately consult a doctor. Timely assistance in most cases helps to restore vision, stop its fall, and save the eyes.

Intracranial hypertension - benign

An increase in intracranial pressure of a benign nature is usually characteristic of girls who are prone to fullness, suffering from a cycle disorder. Various pathologies of the endocrine system, pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia predispose to the disease.

Accompanied by severe pain in the back of the head, which can also be asymmetric, generalized. Another characteristic symptom is a sharp visual dysfunction (reduced visibility). A special study indicates swelling of the optic nerve, congestion, hemorrhage.

Temporal arteritis

Inflammatory lesion of arterial vessels: vessels of the head, eyes. This is accompanied by visual impairment. The causes of this pathology have not been finally established. The disease quite often provokes complete one-sided blindness. The disease mainly affects the elderly representatives of the female half of the population.

In addition to eye symptoms, there is a headache, tension and soreness of the temporal artery. Indicators of laboratory tests are changing, which indicate the presence of an inflammatory process.

Amavrosis fugax

Amavrosis fugax - sudden blindness. Stenosis of the internal carotid artery is observed in age-related patients. As a result of this pathology, vision suddenly disappears in a person. The reason is a transient fluctuation in the level of blood flow in the area of ​​the retina. Other characteristic signs: noise in the projection of the artery (determined during auscultation), contralateral hemisymptoms, weakness in the limbs, etc. Vision in one (usually) eye deteriorates quite unexpectedly, over several minutes or hours. The violation continues - the loss of the visual ability of the eye - for several hours.

Amavrosis fugax may result from retinal embolism. The cause of the pathology is damage to the carotid artery (internal). With the blood flow, the embolic formation penetrates into the vessels of the retina of the eye, provoking ischemia. The nature provides for a special function in the body - the dissolution of blood clots, therefore blindness is often transient. In the acute phase, the retinal artery is soldered, and a thrombus is determined in it with the help of additional research methods (angiography).

Other causative factors

Among the other reasons, due to which vision falls, we can distinguish the following:

A person's vision gradually decreases due to vascular damage in diabetes mellitus (diabetic retinopathy), the formation of a walleye, cataracts. Vision worsens such pathologies of the visual organs as farsightedness, myopia. The progression of these diseases leads to the loss of the ability to see clearly. The natural wear and tear of eye tissues, the presence of many concomitant diseases are the causes of vision loss in old age.

On the basis of acute stress, visual dysfunction can occur - “psychogenic blindness”. It threatens more often the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.

Why? Women are distinguished by emotionality, psychological susceptibility. The patient complains that her vision has dropped sharply. The reactions of the pupils of the eye are preserved, there are no pathological changes in the fundus.

Inattention to eye symptoms can lead to an absolute loss of visual perception. Treatment depends on the cause of the disorder, the severity of the pathological disorder. In any case, contacting a specialist is an urgent need. Take care of your eyes, take care of their health!

Vision is the highest gift of evolution, which ensures the survival and development of the highest forms of all living things, including humans. Today, thanks to advances in science, even blind people can have a satisfactory quality of life. But unfortunately, as a way of adaptation, cognition and orientation in the surrounding world, the eyes are practically irreplaceable.

The reason for the loss of vision can be many abnormal conditions and processes, even some may seem unimportant or not related to vision at all. But the main reasons always remain two diseases distinguished by ophthalmologists: persistent.

Visual impairment is a problem familiar to many. The consequence of this are age-related changes, hereditary predisposition, overwork. However, most often, poor vision is the result of a disease.

The main causes of visual impairment

There are a huge number of reasons why acute visual impairment or myopia can occur, but the main reason is the weakness of the eye muscles, they lose their elasticity and firmness, which leads to problems.

Here are the main reasons:

Frequent severe eye strain (most often this is the result of a long stay at the computer),
- softening of the lens (due to the fact that a person often looks at an object at the same distance in connection with work, the lenses of the eye become weak),
- aging (photosensitive pigment is damaged by destruction due to the banal aging of a person),
- circulatory disorders (the causes of such disorders are determined only by biochemical analyzes)
- viral diseases of various origins,
- pregnancy (even such a phenomenon as a simple pregnancy can cause visual impairment, especially often visual impairment occurs after complex and unsuccessful births).

Loss of clarity of vision is likely with,. These visual impairment problems refer to a state of change in the display capacity of the eye when an image begins to be displayed outside the retina of the eye. In addition to blurring, there is double vision and fatigue, visual impairment, in which a person at close range does not distinguish objects well, but sees well at a distance. The course of the disease myopia can proceed slowly and stop with the completion of the growth of the organism. Non-deteriorating myopia is manifested by a decrease in distance vision, is well corrected and does not require medical intervention.

short-term vision loss

Falling vision at dusk, a symptom that develops against the background of a deficiency of trace elements, vitamins in the body.
- False myopia - switching visual impairment when looking far and near, develops as a result of overwork
- - this is the most common cause of temporary loss of vision, occurs due to prolonged stress on the eyes. The muscles of the eyes tense, appears,. Often these symptoms are aggravated by headache.

With any changes in visual acuity, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination, which includes:

Measurement of visual acuity,
- determination of the refraction of the eye,
- measurement of intracranial pressure,
- ,
- diagnosis of hidden pathologies,
- determination of the production of tears,
- checking the visual field and many other necessary examinations.

The doctor who performs the eye examination is called an ophthalmologist. The most popular diagnostic method is the use of a twelve-row table of letters, rings and patterns. A person with normal visual acuity can easily distinguish the tenth line of letters or images from a distance of five meters.

How to prevent visual impairment

Prevention of visual impairment consists in following certain rules that are designed to strengthen all the mechanisms of the organs of vision.

Workplace - do not work at a computer in a gloomy or semi-dark room. The sitting position should be even, leaning on the back of the chair, the view should be slightly from above. The distance from the eyes to the monitor is approximately 50-70 cm. Mode of operation - every hour of work it is necessary to take a physical culture break, as often as possible look into the distance, towards the horizon or at the sky.

Gymnastics for the eyes - you also need to regularly train your eyes in much the same way as you train yourself in the gym. The muscles of the eyes lend themselves well to training, as a result of which the tone of the eyes is removed, the eye muscles gain strength, become the most elastic. Ophthalmologists believe that eye gymnastics will be useful to all people who even rarely experience pain and. Gymnastics allows you to relax after hard work, but of course it will not save you completely from diseases.

Nutrition - a balanced composition of the consumed products is necessary, everything necessary for eye health must be present in the diet. (butter, liver, fish oil, spinach). Vitamin B (cheese, meat, milk, legumes). Source of vitamin C (citrus fruits, sea buckthorn, cabbage, tomatoes). Phosphorus necessary for the eyes is found in fish and seafood. Honey, dried apricots, melon are sources of potassium. Blueberries are especially beneficial for eye health, they contain a substance that restores visual pigment.

Psychological conditions affecting the clarity of vision - the patient's unconscious unwillingness to see something. To correct your vision (nearsightedness), you need to get rid of the fear that caused visual impairment. It may not be one fear, but several at once. For example, vision began to fall during puberty, deteriorated more at the institute and was completely disturbed after childbirth. Each of these periods has its own fears. You need to learn how to deal with problems as they come and stop expecting the worst. Such fears are not caused by existing reality, but by your over-imagination.

Prevention of decreased visual acuity in children

Prevention of decreased visual acuity in children - it is always necessary to take care of the quality of vision in children and protect it from birth. The organ of vision matures and develops in children along with the child. In order for the child's vision not to deteriorate, reasonable visual loads, proper reading and writing, competent organization of the workplace, and healthy nutrition are necessary. To the great regret of all mankind, today glasses are more often accessories for schoolchildren.

So that the child does not enter into a huge number of children with vision problems, it is necessary to constantly be observed by an ophthalmologist. Only thanks to the vision given to us by nature, we all perceive the surrounding environment, and discover new horizons for ourselves. Everyone knows how important it is for a child to read, draw, write. If the parents do not take all measures to prevent vision, it is likely that soon it will be difficult for him to do what he loves, and he will have to spend precious time going to the doctors.

Finally

How good it is that a person, thanks to his eyesight. Has the ability to see. It's hard to imagine life in complete darkness. Prevention of improving vision is necessary for every person, regardless of whether his vision is poor or not. But to our great regret, not everyone thinks about it, but most of the problems begin precisely from the school bench. Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Any prevention is, first of all, a clear understanding of what you are doing and why, as well as what it will give. And of course, do not neglect the planned visit to the ophthalmologist - at least once a year. Follow the rules and take care of your eyesight!

Medical center of the highest category AILAZ

To paraphrase a well-known expression, alas, old age, all organs are submissive - this is true, and the eyes are no exception. Over the years, age-related cataracts or retinal dystrophy can affect the eyes ... To avoid loss of vision or other possible threats, you should be regularly examined by an ophthalmologist - this is the only way to protect your eyes.

There are such visual diseases as, for example, an acute attack of glaucoma - when the clock counts: the earlier you go to the doctor, the more chances you have to save your eyesight. So, what are the signs of visual impairment that can cause the greatest danger?

1. A sharp deterioration in vision in one eye

If you have already crossed the 60th anniversary and if you have at least one of the listed diseases: myopia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, there is a high risk that the loss of vision is caused by vascular disorders. In this case, emergency medical assistance is needed - contact a doctor as soon as possible!

2. Sensation before the eyes of a black curtain that covers some part of the field of view

This is a formidable symptom that is often observed with retinal detachment. Here, as in the previous case, the sooner treatment is started, the more likely it is to keep the eyes healthy.

3. Sharp pain in the eye, redness, blurred vision, there may be nausea, vomiting

This can lead to an attack of angle-closure glaucoma. Intraocular pressure rises sharply, and this can damage the optic nerve. It is urgent to reduce intraocular pressure - up to surgical treatment. This will not go away on its own - you need to see a doctor.

4. Gradual or abrupt narrowing of the field of view

If your field of vision gradually narrows, over time you will be able to see only what is located directly in front of you. This is called "tubular" vision and may indicate glaucoma: narrowing of the field of view due to damage to the optic nerve is just one of its main symptoms. Treatment is also needed here, otherwise vision will deteriorate.

Glaucoma is an insidious disease and often patients are unaware of its existence. On the website of the medical center AILAZ You will find glaucoma self-diagnosis questionnaire .

5. Gradual deterioration of central vision, blurring, blurring of the image (straight lines look wavy, curved)

This may indicate a disease of the central region of the retina - the macula, which, in fact, is responsible for normal vision. This disease has an age-related character - older people are often susceptible to it. Glasses do not help, without treatment, vision is steadily declining. Today, there are many treatment options depending on the form of macular degeneration.

Another reason for a sudden decrease in vision is a retinal tear in the central zone. If you do not immediately contact an ophthalmologist and start treatment, vision can hardly be restored.

6. When everything is in front of your eyes, as if in a fog, the brightness and contrast of vision decrease

So, cataracts can develop, causing clouding of the lens. In this case, vision falls gradually, up to the ability to only distinguish light. Here we are talking about a planned surgical intervention - removal of a cataract followed by implantation of an artificial lens. At the same time, it is worth seeing an ophthalmologist, because sometimes a cataract causes intraocular pressure, and this is an indication for urgent surgical treatment. In addition, cataracts cause the lens to enlarge and harden, which can make it difficult to remove - another reason to visit the eye doctor regularly: to save time.

Modern technologies make it possible to remove a cataract and replace it with a transparent artificial lens painlessly and in a matter of minutes. Do not endure the discomfort of blurry vision. Decide on an examination and surgery.

7. Dark spots, partial cloudiness, feeling of fog or veil before the eyes

If the patient suffers from diabetes, the likelihood of eye damage is quite high, and the longer the experience of diabetes, the more likely changes in the eye. Regular visits to an ophthalmologist are a must. If necessary, the ophthalmologist will prescribe a comprehensive treatment: not only appropriate medications, but often laser treatment as well. Timely treatment will allow you to save your vision.

8. Burning sensation, sand in the eyes, sensation of a foreign body, lacrimation, or, conversely, a feeling of dryness

This is a typical description of dry eye syndrome, the symptoms of which can worsen with age. As a rule, this disease does not cause a particular danger to vision, but a severe degree of dry eye syndrome can cause some pathological conditions. An experienced ophthalmologist will conduct the necessary examination and prescribe moisturizing drops.

On the website of the medical center AILAZ you will find self-diagnosis questionnaire for dry eye syndrome .

9. When the image doubles

When seeing double, there may be several reasons, and this is not necessarily a "visual" problem. The reason for this may be intoxication, vascular disorders, diseases of the nervous system, pathology of the endocrine system. If double vision appears, it is better to immediately be examined by several doctors: a therapist, an ophthalmologist, a neurologist and an endocrinologist.

10. Floaters before the eyes

As a rule, floating spots, threads, "spiders" before the eyes are caused by the destruction of the vitreous body. This is due to age-related changes in its structure and does not cause danger. With age, the vitreous body loses its density, liquefies and does not fit as tightly to the retina as before. When its fibers stick together and lose their transparency, they cast a shadow on the retina and are perceived as defects in the visual field. This is clearly visible on a white background: snow, a sheet of paper. Destruction of the vitreous body can be caused by arterial hypertension, cervical osteochondrosis, diabetes mellitus, trauma to the head, eyes and nose.

At the same time, a spot that suddenly appeared before the eyes, a “curtain”, may be the result of a serious pathology that requires surgical treatment, for example, hemorrhage in the retina or vitreous body. In the event that symptoms appear suddenly, in one day, immediately consult an ophthalmologist.

Most people who naturally have good eyesight are accustomed to taking this as a given, 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 the elongation of the 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 the later stages, vision is completely impaired. 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 can be complicated by an increase in intraocular pressure.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism can be explained in simple terms 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 myopia, or even be of a mixed type.

Double vision

This condition is called diplopia. In the case of such a pathology, the object can double diagonally, vertically, horizontally, or rotate relative to each other. The oculomotor muscles are guilty of such a pathology, which work out of sync, respectively, both eyes cannot simultaneously concentrate on an object. 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 of stereoscopic vision is the ability to estimate distance. If there is a difference in the eyes of several diopters, then the weaker eye begins to be turned off by 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 spectacle correction 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 results in loss of binocular vision, then surgical correction or glasses must be performed.

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, inwards - 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 the 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 colors, 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 is the 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 eye environments, a large difference in the diopters of the eyes, and 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. A creeping corneal ulcer is the final stage of a herpetic lesion of the cornea, or its chronic injury from exposure to foreign bodies. Quite often, ulcers are formed due to amoebic keratitis, which most often develops 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, and diabetes mellitus can also be the cause. 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 of the cervical spine in the fetus at the time of childbirth.

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 against the background of diabetes mellitus, or arterial hypertension, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors of the central nervous system, otitis media complication, intracranial hypertension, head trauma, pituitary tumor, nasopharyngeal cancer, carotid artery 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 of the 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.

Most often, nerve damage occurs due to toxic lesions, tumors, vascular diseases, and 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, vertebral artery syndrome, atherosclerosis), hypertensive crises (sudden jumps in 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

Normal 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

Drug exposure can cause transient myopia. Such manifestations are observed in the case of taking high doses of sulfonamides.

A sharp deterioration in 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 of the visual cortex (ischemic stroke of the posterior cerebral artery, ischemic attack against the background of chronic circulatory disorders of the brain), as well as 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 of the posterior wall of the 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.

The cause of a sharp drop in 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.

Surgical 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.