From childhood, we are told not to play with vision. Indeed, the eye is a very sensitive mechanism, which is easy to damage. One of the serious diseases associated with vision is retinal detachment. What it is, how to treat it and what it can lead to is described below.
What is the retina?
Before talking about retinal detachment, it is necessary to understand what the retina is. Recall the course of the world around us in elementary school: the retina is that part of our eye to which the lens transmits an image. The retina perceives what it sees, converts it into nerve impulses, sends them to the brain - and we understand that we saw a cow, an apple or a TV. In other words, the retina is a separate layer of the eye, very thin, which is the first to receive information about the visual perception of an object. It acts as a kind of "courier", a transmitter of information - it receives it from the outside and sends it further, to the brain.
The retina has a very complex structure - it has as many as ten separate layers, the most important of which, perhaps, are the first two - the pigment epithelium (responsible forthe entry of certain substances into the retina from the capillaries) and photoreceptors, or, in other words, rods and cones. With the help of the former, we are able to see in the dark, they are responsible for black and white colors. The latter help to see the whole range of multi-colored paints, they are active in bright light.
Retinal detachment: what is it?
So, the retina receives and transmits information about what we see. All ten layers of the retina (including rods and cones) take an active part in this. But it happens that these photoreceptors are separated from the pigment epithelium layer. This happens if liquid accumulates between these layers. In this case, it enters other layers of the retina. Because of this, the outer layers of the retina cease to receive nutrition, the eye loses vision. Thus, retinal detachment is a serious disease that, if not taken care of in time, can lead to blindness.
Only at the beginning of the 18th century, the term "retinal detachment" began to be used in medicine, but such a diagnosis was impossible to establish due to the lack of necessary devices for another one and a half centuries. It is now known that those who suffer from myopia, diabetes mellitus or vascular diseases, as well as those who have suffered eye injuries, have a greater risk of developing this disease. However, it must be remembered that traumatic retinal breaks occur in approximately 6% of the world's population and only in isolated cases lead to detachment.
Types of retinal detachment
There are 5 types of detachmentretina: traumatic, traction, exudative, primary or secondary. Primary detachment occurs due to retinal rupture, secondary - due to all kinds of inflammatory processes in the eye, including tumors. And traumatic is, as the name suggests, the result of an eye injury. An exudative detachment is called when the retina does not break, but fluid has accumulated under it. Finally, a traction detachment is one in which there is tension on the retina.
Knowing exactly what kind of retinal detachment happened is extremely necessary for a specialist, as this will help determine the further course of treatment.
Why does the retina peel off?
The causes of retinal detachment are quite simple and banal. First of all, these are retinal breaks, which have already been mentioned above. These gaps appear due to inflammation of the eye membrane, severe myopia, hemorrhages in the eyes, heavy physical exertion, and so on. In addition, eye injury can be the cause of retinal detachment - even if it was a long time ago, after a while it can make itself felt. In order to detect the problem in time and avoid even more trouble, you need to regularly visit an ophthalmologist. By the way, the older the person, the greater the risk of retinal detachment. And if a patient has a similar problem in one eye, there is a high probability of developing the disease in the second.
Symptoms
How to recognize what happened? There are several sure signs. First, the symptoms of retinal detachment in the early stages are as follows:called light phenomena - sparks, flashes begin to flicker before the eyes. This suggests that the photoreceptors are irritated. It is necessary not to miss this signal and contact a specialist in time. Other symptoms of retinal detachment are floating circles, dots, a veil in front of the eyes. This is a sign of damage to the vessels of the retina. Often the signs described appear at the same time, but it happens that the outbreaks are a couple of days ahead of the circles.
What next? Further, if you do not pay attention to the signals sent by the body and ignore them, retinal detachment will progress. Gradually it will get worse. A curtain will appear before your eyes - first on the sides, so peripheral vision is lost, then it will spread over the entire eye. The symptoms of retinal detachment also include loss of visual acuity - everything will begin to blur before the eyes, objects will lose their outlines, become fuzzy, ghostly. All this leads to the worst thing that can happen to vision - total blindness.
From the first sign to the last it may take several months, or maybe one week. It all depends on where exactly the retinal rupture occurred or the eye was injured. By the way, in the morning, even after retinal detachment, vision is better than in the evenings - all because in a horizontal position (if you sleep on your back), the fluid in the eye is somewhat absorbed, allowing the retina to partially return to its place. However, this happens only in the first days after detachment - if the situation drags on, the retina is alreadyhas lost its shape and is unable to lie down on its own.
Diagnosis of detachment
Suppose a person suspects a retinal detachment. How to be, what to do? Immediately run to the doctor for an examination - only in this way, through diagnosis, you can confirm or refute the existing fears. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the better - as already mentioned, timely measures will help to get by with little blood and save your eyesight.
During an eye examination, the patient's visual fields will be examined to assess the state of the retina in the periphery; examine the fundus, determine visual acuity, find out how viable the nerve cells of the retina are; measure intraocular pressure and so on. There are several methods of examination, but the main one is considered to be ophthalmoscopy (examination of the fundus). This diagnostic method most accurately determines whether there is a violation, and if so, what type it belongs to.
Retinal detachment: treatment
So, the diagnosis is clear - detachment. Now treatment is needed. What will it be like?
There are several methods of treatment. The first is folk methods, the second is surgical intervention. We will talk about folk remedies a little lower, but for now, we should dwell on various surgical procedures in more detail. Their goal is to allow the retina to adhere to the necessary tissues of the eye, that is, to return it to its place. These methods include, for example, laser treatment, which strengthens the retina and limits the tear.
Treatment of retinal detachment is also possible with the help of vitrectomy - this is the removal of the vitreous body from the eye and the temporary introduction of a special gas to promote retinal reattachment. Another surgical method is the freezing of the damaged retina, the so-called gluing of the places of its rupture. This method is scientifically called cryopexy.
With the help of sclerotherapy, a piece of elastic plastic is placed on the outer layer of the eye in order to relieve pressure on the retina and prevent new breaks. And the method of retinopexy allows you to introduce air into the eye, which prevents the accumulation of fluid under damaged areas of the retina.
Laser treatment
Let's take a closer look at laser treatment. The laser creates adhesions between the retina and the choroid, burning the retina with light. Scientifically, this method is called laser coagulation. It is carried out under anesthesia (as a rule, local anesthesia is given - an anesthetic is instilled in a solution). The operation is carried out as follows: a special three-dimensional lens is placed on the eye, with the help of which light rays can be projected onto absolutely any part of the fundus. The laser is directed to the necessary places, eliminating tears, fastening the retina and choroid.
Although the operation takes a fairly short amount of time, the resulting adhesions still take about two weeks to become strong. When this happens, the retinal detachment operation is considered successful.
However, you need to beprepared for possible complications. This happens infrequently, only if the treated area was too large (and then this is not necessary). With appropriate treatment, these complications are not a big deal and go away in a few days.
Laser intervention is carried out not only for therapeutic, but also for preventive purposes. This is especially true for people who are in the so-called risk group - that is, those who have an increased risk of retinal detachment. After this procedure, it is necessary to visit a specialist at least once every six months for a preventive examination of the fundus. If you regularly perform these simple manipulations, the risk of developing the disease will decrease significantly.
Peel off operations
The sooner you see a doctor, the higher the likelihood of a maximum cure and a successful intervention. Experts warn that it is possible to restore vision completely and completely only if the retinal detachment has not reached the center. Otherwise, vision will not be the same.
Before the operation, it will be necessary to take tests. This is a complete blood count, blood group and Rh factor, biochemical blood test, HIV test, urinalysis, cardiogram, fluorography. In addition, you need to consult narrow specialists: a dentist, an otolaryngologist, an endocrinologist (if you have diabetes or thyroid problems), as well as a general practitioner. If you are registered with a neurologist, dermatologist and similar doctors, you should visit them as well.
It is important to remember that the operation of retinal detachment is possible if more than a year has not passed since the deterioration of vision. Rather, it is possible to carry out the intervention at a later date, but no one will guarantee the return of vision under such circumstances. Also an important factor is that after the operation of retinal detachment, myopia or astigmatism often increases. In some cases, there are relapses - detachment occurs again. A second operation, unfortunately, may not be effective either.
Any surgical intervention for retinal detachment is painless, since, as already mentioned, it is carried out with an anesthetic. Also, they are all safe, as the equipment for such operations is the latest. And, perhaps, the main plus is that they are short, they do not require a stationary stay. On average, retinal surgery lasts from forty minutes to an hour and a half.
After surgery
Within a month after the intervention, it is not recommended to go to the bath, sauna or pool. Depending on what the operation was and how difficult, physical activity is also limited - at least for a month, for a maximum of a year. In addition, a mandatory bed rest is prescribed for at least a day immediately after the operation (by the way, it must also be observed before the procedure).
The attending physician will prescribe the necessary medications, which must be taken without fail. It will also be impossible to lean forward, you will need to constantly control the position of the head,wear sunglasses. It is advisable to take care not to be exposed to colds.
Don't think that when you open your eyes after surgery, a person will immediately begin to see as before, or at least better. The restoration of vision functions takes a certain period of time, as a rule, even several months.
Folk methods
Folk remedies should include all kinds of conspiracies, compresses, juices and decoctions, herbal infusions and the like. Unfortunately, no matter how much people believe in the effectiveness of these methods, they are useless and powerless in the treatment of retinal detachment.
Eye drops, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, eye exercises, and so on will not work either. Retinal detachment is a serious disease that can only be eliminated by surgery and nothing else.
Preventive measures
It has long been known that it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. And in order to prevent possible detachment of the retina, it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist at least once every six months. In the event that the eye has been injured, further observation by a doctor is imperative.
Interesting facts
- The human eye weighs approximately 7 grams.
- The most rare eye color is green (only 2% of the world's inhabitants have it).
- And only 1% of the world's population can boast of multi-colored eyes.
- We blink every 4 seconds.
- The cornea of the human eye is terribly similar toshark eye cornea.
- A person perceives only red, yellow and blue colors, the rest are a combination of the above.
- Aphakia is a disease in which a person has no lens.
- If a person is afraid of the eyes, it is called ommatophobia.
- Newborn babies see approximately at a distance of 30-40 centimeters: it is at this distance that the mother's face is located from their eyes during breastfeeding.
- Brown eyes are actually blue, pigment made them brown.
Our eyes serve us faithfully, but require careful attitude and care. Therefore, do not ignore them if there are any problems with vision.
