Among other pathologies of the visual organs, retinal detachment deserves special attention. The disease is severe, it consists in the gradual departure of the retina from the choroid, then if the ocular membrane, rich in blood vessels. Such a problem can cause a severe decrease in the ability to see, up to complete blindness.
General understanding of the disease
Normal vision is ensured by the full functioning of all tissues, organ systems. The retina should be extremely densely located relative to the choroid, since it is from here that the tissues feed - there are no own blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients in the tissue. Detachment of the retina of the eye leads to the impossibility of obtaining the structures of everything necessary for a full-fledged life. Pathology is one of the most problematic in modern ophthalmology. The disease is severe, requires surgical correction, but this approach is not always applicable, and it is possible to predict the results far from 100%cases.
As medical statistics show, the treatment of retinal detachment in the last decade is required with a much greater frequency than before. On average, pathology affects one in ten thousand of the population. Among other reasons that provoke complete loss of vision, it is the one under consideration that is one of the most common. Often it becomes the basis for assigning the status of a disabled person. As can be seen from analytical studies, only a third of patients have already crossed the border of retirement age, and other patients are absolutely able-bodied people before the development of pathology.
What to do?
Treatment of retinal detachment is possible only by surgery. No drugs have been developed that would allow conservative methods to reverse the process. Neither pills nor injections will help. You should not count on the methods of traditional medicine, non-patented dietary supplements, which, as the manufacturers assure, are able to defeat any pathology. As soon as the diagnosis is formulated, it is necessary to sign up for surgery as soon as possible - this is the only way to save vision.
Where did the trouble come from?
The causes of retinal detachment can be understood if you delve into the mechanism of pathology. Often the problem is provoked by excessive physical exertion, increased stress and a sharp mechanical effect on the ocular surface. Such causes first initiate the formation of small defects, while fillingthe vitreous substance gets the opportunity to gradually shift under the retina. Over time, imperceptibly, this moves away tissues that are normally adjacent to each other. The larger volumes of substance leak out, the more significant the area of delamination, the more difficult the case.
In the predominant number of cases, the symptoms of retinal detachment are observed only in one eye, although gradually the pathology has a negative effect on the visual system as a whole. If you suspect a disease, you should contact a doctor as soon as possible, who carefully examines both eyes.
Possible paths
It is known that treatment of retinal detachment is often required due to trauma, injury that has affected the eye tissues. In this case, not only the retina suffers, damage can easily spread to other membranes, tissues of the organ. Ocular pathologies can provoke degenerative changes. These include tumor processes, retinitis, retinopathy, uveitis, macular degradation associated with age-related changes in the body.
Sometimes the causes of symptoms of retinal detachment in dystrophic processes affecting the vitreochorioretin in the periphery. This can cause a sharp decrease in visual acuity. In a certain percentage of cases, the condition develops in an absolutely he althy person. To detect the disease, an examination is required with the Goldman apparatus, which includes a lens with three mirrors.
Risk group
Retinal detachment is more likely if a person has had an eye injury or experienced a similar process onother organ of vision. The probability of a pathological process is increased if close relatives are ill, dystrophic disorders in the eye tissues are revealed. The risk group includes people who are forced to constantly lift weights, work at work associated with physical overstrain. The presence of any disease affecting the retina also increases the likelihood of the onset of a detachment.
Attention should be paid to the condition of the eyes by diabetics, athletes, especially those practicing potentially dangerous types of sports activity - boxing, wrestling. The risk group includes all those who have been diagnosed with progressive myopia, as well as astigmatism. Such he alth conditions are associated with a gradual decrease in thickness, which, sooner or later, can provoke detachment of the retina from the nourishing tissue.
How to suspect?
The primary symptoms of retinal detachment are floating dots before the eyes, flies and lightning, sparks and flashes. Others characterize the visible as flakes of soot, a veil, curtains. With such manifestations of visual impairment, many recommend rinsing the eyes with tea, but with detachment, this event does not give any benefit, as does the use of specific medications. This moment is the best time to seek qualified medical help. You should pay attention to which side the disease began to manifest itself earlier, what kind of “curtain” is felt. This will help the doctor formulate the specifics of the case more accurately.
Over time, symptoms of retinal detachment include narrowing of the fieldvision and loss of individual areas from the space covered by the eyes. The objects examined by the patient are distorted, the dimensions, shape are misperceived, object vision becomes worse over time. If the disease progresses rapidly, a veil appears before the eyes. If the situation is accompanied by vascular damage, spots appear before the eyes, black flies, pain is possible, a feeling of discomfort. Detachment associated with hemorrhage affecting the vitreous body manifests itself as cobwebs, spots that seem to float in front of the person.
Important moment
Retinal detachment often occurs gradually, symptoms disturbing a person during the day exhaust themselves during a night's rest and in the morning vision is completely normal. This feature is due to the ability of the fluid that accumulates between the tissues to dissolve during the rest period, while the retina again takes its natural position. After a few hours after waking up, unpleasant symptoms return.
The most dangerous cases are when retinal detachment covers the lower parts of the visual organ. The symptoms are almost imperceptible, and the patient turns to the doctor when the case is already running.
Discover and defeat
Having discovered any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with an ophthalmologist as soon as possible for the purpose of detailed instrumental diagnostics in a hospital setting. Timely referral makes it possible to identifythe earliest stages of retinal detachment processes. The operation may not be necessary if the patient applied really on time, or the intervention will be minimal. The main advantage of promptness is the ability to save vision.
If a person has experienced a craniocerebral injury, and some time after that, the mentioned manifestations were recorded, one should not only come for an examination to an ophthalmologist, but also make an appointment with a neuropathologist to clarify all the circumstances of the condition. Usually, the study of the eye area is performed using specialized drops that help expand the pupil. As can be seen from medical statistics, more often negative processes capture the peripheral areas, since by nature the blood supply to this part is weaker than the central one. Correct full examination requires indirect, direct ophthalmoscopy. As part of such an event, all the features of the patient's fundus are examined.
Diagnosis: what and how?
To identify the specific features of a particular situation, it is necessary to localize degenerative processes and detect gaps, to identify their exact number. To clarify the patient's condition, the points of localization of dystrophic disorders are determined and what kind of connections the exfoliating areas and the vitreous body have (if any).
To confirm, clarify the formulated medical opinion, additional studies are being carried out. These involve the identification of visual acuity. It is known that atdetachment vision sits very sharply, suddenly. To a greater extent, this is typical of a situation where the detachment is localized in the center. The doctor measures the pressure in the visual organs. Normally, the parameter is standard, deviations are characteristic of patients who have received an injury, a blow. To obtain more accurate information about the patient's condition, the perimeters of the visual organs are examined, visual fields are detected, and ultrasound is prescribed if any of the more common methods are not applicable in a particular case. Sometimes an additional study is carried out with a laser tomograph. This event is necessary if it is necessary to clarify the state of the nerve responsible for the visual organs.
What to do?
Retinal detachment surgery is the most effective and reasonable measure. There are currently no other effective treatment methods. Modern doctors have access to high-precision equipment, so a minimally invasive intervention is performed, and the operation is not at all as scary as it might seem. In many ways, the features of the procedure depend on the area affected by degenerative processes, on the size of the defect and the complexity of working with it.
The most common types of operations:
- sclerosing;
- retinopexy;
- vitrectomy;
- filling;
- ballooning.
And if in more detail?
Sclerotherapy involves the use of electric current, laser. During the event, the exact position of the damage is identified and work is carried out to seal it. The tissue in this area forms a scar, so the fluid does notcan get into the retina. Retinopexy has similar features - in fact, it is also sclerosis, but carried out by cryogenic methods or a laser. The vitreous body is filled with air, which helps the retina to take an anatomically correct position.
Vitrectomy is such a technique when two holes are created in the sclera to illuminate the field, after which the tweezers, the emitter are inserted and the vitreous body is removed. Gas is pumped in its place. After some time, these volumes naturally dissolve, and the area fills with body fluids.
Other options
Filling is the installation of such a silicone plug fixed to the sclera, which allows the sclera to be pulled inward. This affects the position of the choroid, aligning it with the retina.
Finally, ballooning is a surgical method that involves attaching a catheter to the sclera with a balloon inflated with air. In this case, the effect is approximately the same as when installing a silicone seal.
Consequences: what causes detachment?
The most negative development option is blindness. There are no more terrible consequences for an eye disease. To prevent such a development of events, you should take the help of a qualified doctor as soon as possible. A timely operation helps to prevent the progress of degenerative changes, restore the ability to see.
Advances in pathology can make it impossible to seesome areas. In patients, a veil forms before the eyes. In addition to the loss of visual acuity, it becomes impossible to correctly identify the dimensions and shape of objects. If the pathology is accompanied by the formation of the macula, such a decrease in the ability to see is considered especially dangerous.
How to warn?
If a person belongs to a risk group, you should treat your vision especially responsibly. Diabetics, as well as people who have suffered from eye trauma, head injuries, should monitor their he alth and regularly visit a preventive examination by a specialist. Similar examinations are required for those who have dystrophic processes in the retina, astigmatism, myopia. A constant visit to the clinic will allow you to determine the onset of degenerative processes in time, which means that measures to stop it will be much easier.
The risk group is also women bearing the fetus. Childbirth is known to cause retinal detachment.
To minimize the risk of illness, it is important to eat right and lead a he althy lifestyle. An adequate balance of work and rest should be observed. Not only visual, but also physical stresses associated with everyday life are taken into account. If possible, heavy loads, overloads should be avoided.
Anatomical features
The retina is a tissue that normally covers the apple of the eye along the inner surface. Among all the tissues that form the visual organ, it is the retina that is the thinnest, most delicate. She perceives lightimpulses, forms nerve impulses on their basis, which then enter the brain centers. Structural changes in this tissue always cause severe diseases associated with the risk of blindness.
