Older people often have various vision problems. One of the diseases that cause them is epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What it is, it is hard to imagine a young he althy person. But people who have crossed the sixty-year mark are faced with a similar ailment quite often.
Epiretinal fibrosis of the eye: what is it
The initial stage of the disease most often goes unnoticed by humans. At this stage, an epiretinal membrane begins to form in the center of the retina. It looks like a thin transparent film.
Whitish formation begins to deform the retina. It pulls her in. Due to such exposure, the retina becomes wrinkled and folded.
Over time, the epiretinal membrane begins to become stiffer and thicker. Fibrotic changes cause swelling of the retina and contribute to its breaks. All this is manifested in the deterioration of human vision.
Symptoms
The manifestation of signs of the disease becomes a complete surprise for the elderly. They feel the symptoms that accompany epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What is it and why vision problems began - the old people cannot understand.
The most common anomalies seen in patients are:
- blind spots present;
- straight lines bend;
- have trouble seeing small objects;
- having trouble reading;
- impaired ability to see in poorly lit places;
- clouded picture;
- contours of objects are distorted;
- seeing double.
In the absence of medical assistance, the manifestation of pathology intensifies. The correct description of the symptoms to the doctor is of great importance in determining the degree of development of the disease and the need for the timing of its treatment.
Reasons
For the correct diagnosis and fight against the disease, it is important to determine not only the forms of its manifestation, but also the causes. In most cases, epiretinal ocular fibrosis develops idiopathically. Its occurrence has no reason. Doctors conclude that this happens against the background of age-related changes in the body.
However, in some cases, there are factors that give impetus to the development of the anomaly. Their definition is important for correct diagnosis and prognosis of treatment.
There are cases when a disease such as uveitis caused epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What it is? Inflammation of the choroid of the eyeball. Uveitis iscollective name for a group of inflammations. The pathological process can be localized in different parts of the shell of the eye.
Other causes of epiretinal fibrosis of the eye are:
- retinal detachment;
- transferred ophthalmic surgeries;
- diabetic retinopathy;
- injuries.
Diagnosis
Early seeking medical attention increases the chances of restoring vision. An ophthalmologist and a surgeon will be able to correctly diagnose epiretinal fibrosis of the retina.
The specialist should conduct a visual examination of the patient and listen to his complaints. To collect a complete history, the following data are specified:
- time of the first signs of the disease;
- Vision problems in the past;
- eye injury;
- symptoms of comorbidities;
- presence of any chronic diseases.
Epiretinal fibrosis of the eye and cataracts are often diagnosed when examining very old people. In this case, treatment is carried out for both diseases at once. A correctly compiled medical history helps the specialist to prescribe the optimal pathology control scheme.
Folk remedies
Very rarely, the separation of the film that deforms the retina occurs spontaneously. Vision begins to gradually recover. Sometimes helps to defeat epiretinal fibrosis of the eyetreatment with folk remedies.
For example, a remedy is prepared from lingonberry leaves, calendula flowers and medicinal chamomile. Herbs are crushed and mixed in equal amounts. A decoction is made from them. Take this remedy twice a day for a month and a half. Before doing this, be sure to consult a doctor.
Preparation for surgery
In most cases, self-rejection of the film does not occur. The patient is increasingly developing epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. Treatment in this case is only surgical.
Before surgery, the patient is examined by an endocrinologist, an otolaryngologist and a dentist. These doctors examine the patient for possible postoperative complications.
The next step in preparing for surgery is testing. Blood and urine tests are done:
- indicating sugar levels;
- general;
- hepatitis, HIV, Wasserman reaction.
The last stage of preparation is the removal of the electrocardiogram and the study of the fluorogram. After that, the day of the operation is assigned.
Surgery
The process of getting rid of the anomaly takes place under local anesthesia. To carry out the operation, you must have:
- special solutions;
- devices for delivering them to the eye;
- divergent lenses;
- device that supplies light;
- microscope.
Only an experienced ophthalmic surgeon should remove the affected membrane, eliminating the epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. The operation is very delicate and requires the precision of a doctor's work. It consists of several stages:
- removal of the vitreous body occurs at the site of the fibrous formation;
- excised tissue located in the molecular region;
- to prevent retinal displacement, the missing volume is filled with saline.
If the surgical intervention is successful, the patient again sees the world around him without abnormal distortions.
Sometimes a second operation may be required.
Recovery
If the outcome is successful, the patient goes home the same day. The doctor prescribes the use of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory eye drugs. Using them helps:
- reduce the risk of infection;
- reduce the likelihood of edema;
- prevent complications.
There is a list of recommendations that can facilitate the process of postoperative rehabilitation. The basic rules are:
- periodic doctor visits;
- temporary cessation of driving;
- avoiding watching TV, reading, using a computer;
- no mechanical impact on the eyes (friction, pressure, scratching);
- wearing sunglasses.
The implementation of the recommendations allowsspeed up the recovery process and prevent possible postoperative complications from developing.
It is also worth remembering that the development of epiretinal fibrosis of the eye cannot be prevented. There are no methods for preventing the disease. However, early detection of the disease is quite possible. To do this, it is necessary to undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist every six months.
