The problem of farsightedness is quite common in ophthalmology. It can occur at a young age, and even in children, not to mention age-related farsightedness, which is considered normal. To date, many methods have been developed for the treatment of farsightedness. We propose to consider some of them in our article. So, further we will talk about the treatment of farsightedness in adults.
Occurrence of farsightedness. Reasons
The human eye is a complex optical device. The lens of the human eye is able to adjust the focus when looking at objects at different distances. When farsightedness occurs, focusing on objects that are close becomes difficult, and a person sees far better than close. This difficulty is due to the fact that the refraction (refraction of the light beam) deviates from the norm, and the image is focused behind the retina.
Often a combination of two causes of farsightedness can occur: the shape of the eyeball may be irregular (reduced) incombined with a weakened optical power of the cornea. But with the normal structure of the eyeball, farsightedness can rarely occur due to insufficient weakness of the optical system of the eye.
People suffering from hypermetropia (as farsightedness is called in the language of ophthalmologists), which did not arise due to age-related changes, often cannot see not only close objects, but also those that are too far away. And only when a certain age is reached (everyone, as a rule, has his own) the lens gradually weakens, and a significant deterioration in vision can be observed, especially near.
Types of farsightedness
In addition to physiological natural farsightedness, such an optical system can be congenital. There is also age-related farsightedness, it also requires treatment, but more on that later. All children are born with farsightedness, but over time, vision should normalize, the eyeball should become a normal length. If this does not happen by the age of 8-9, children's farsightedness is recognized, which may also be due to a weak congenital refractive power of the cornea or lens.
If congenital farsightedness is at or above 3.0 diopters, strabismus may develop, which is formed due to overstrain of the oculomotor muscles, when the child constantly reduces his eyes to his nose to adjust clarity. The progression of the situation can result in another disease of children's vision - amblyopia, when one eye is drastically weakened.
Most commonage-related farsightedness, called presbyopia by doctors. This is a natural process of “aging” of vision, and people from 40-45 years old are most often exposed to it. There is a thickening of the lens tissues, it is no longer so elastic and gradually loses the ability to refract light rays.
Often farsightedness can occur in a latent form, people at a young age may not feel it due to the good accommodative (ability to refract) properties of the eye. However, over time, constant overstrain leads to eye fatigue and headaches, the problem of farsightedness will be discovered, the treatment of which will be necessary so that otherwise there are no complications.
Is it necessary to treat?
The treatment of farsightedness is dangerous to ignore, especially at a young age (due to the high risk of complications). It can be strabismus, inflammation of the eye membrane (conjunctivitis), lazy eye syndrome - one eye may not see at all. Such complications are almost impossible to correct.
Subsequent progression of farsightedness without treatment in adults may lead to worsening of the outflow of intraocular fluid, and subsequently glaucoma. It also leads to loss of vision in advanced cases.
Unfortunately, many processes in our body are inevitable. and it is impossible to prevent age-related farsightedness, but its treatment is possible in the form of correction or surgical treatment. By contacting an ophthalmologist in a timely manner, you can avoid many problems later.
Conservative treatmentsfarsightedness
How can such a deviation be treated? The specialist can prescribe various treatments for farsightedness, depending on the degree of the disease, its nature and the age of the patient. They can be divided into conservative methods and surgical methods. Surgical are divided into those that take place with and without intervention (treatment of farsightedness with a laser).
Conservative methods include prescribing suitable glasses or lenses. Glasses are the most convenient form of farsightedness correction prescribed both for children and for the treatment of age-related farsightedness in people over forty years of age. Their main difference is simplicity and practicality of use. It is especially important to start wearing corrective glasses for the treatment of farsightedness in children as early as possible in order to avoid various complications.
Another method of conservative correction of farsightedness is wearing lenses, the so-called contact correction. This method is mainly used in the treatment of young people aged 18-30 years and brings visual acuity closer to normal without visible deformations and magnification of the image that occurs when wearing glasses. However, the use of corrective lenses is fraught with the risk of infection, conjunctivitis, keratitis and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) of the cornea.
Hardware treatment of farsightedness
Conservative methods also include treatment with such modern hardware methods as:
- Electrical stimulation.
- Ultrasound therapy.
- Vacuum massage procedures.
- Wearing glasses-massagers.
Hardware treatment takes place in courses, 4-5 times a year. Such therapy may consist of different methods of visual stimulation.
Using conservative methods, together you can achieve good results in the correction of farsightedness of a certain stage. Typically, conservative treatment with the listed methods is used to treat children suffering from farsightedness. With an earlier appeal to conservative methods of correction, you can subsequently save the child from wearing glasses.
Laser
Correction of visual disorders with a laser is the most effective and modern method of treating both myopia and hyperopia. At its core, the laser method has an enhancement of the refraction mechanism of the cornea due to exposure to excimer laser beams. Many experts talk about the positive feedback on the treatment of farsightedness using various laser techniques. There are many of them, the doctor will help you choose the optimal one.
Laser correction is recommended for the treatment of farsightedness in adults over 18 years of age, and is prescribed only by the attending physician after an appropriate examination of the patient. However, when treating with a laser, it is important to consider contraindications.
Contraindications (temporary) for laser vision correction
Many experts do not recommend correcting farsightedness using a laser technique for patients older than 45-50 years, as the age-related processes of changes in the optical system of the eye begin. Contraindications for the correction of farsightedness with a laser are divided intorelative (temporary, which must be waited out) and absolute. Among relative contraindications:
- Under the age of 18, as a permanent correction result cannot be guaranteed.
- Pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding.
- Rapid deterioration of vision during the current year. In such a situation, therapeutic treatment is needed to stabilize vision.
- Various inflammation of the eye membranes.
- Dystrophic changes in the retina leading to retinal detachment. In this case, laser coagulation may be prescribed first, depending on the severity of the changes.
- Interruptions in the immune system. A complete recovery of the body as a whole is necessary for the subsequent normal healing from laser surgery and the avoidance of complications.
Absolute contraindications
Absolute contraindications for laser correction of farsightedness (nearsightedness) are:
- Diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases (bronchial asthma, AIDS, rheumatism, etc.).
- Chronic skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema, etc.) and a tendency to scarring.
- Chronic corneal diseases (glaucoma, cataracts, etc.) and its insufficient thickness.
- Mental and neurological abnormalities.
- The presence of a pacemaker in the patient's body.
Pros in the treatment of farsightedness with a laser
You can list the following benefits:
- Recovery of visual abilities in a short time (one or two days).
- There are almost no restrictive loads after the operation.
- Preserving the structure of the cornea.
- No open wound after surgery.
- Painful sensations disappear within 2-3 hours after surgery.
- Achieve refractive effect and stable result.
- Possibility of treating two eyes at once.
- After the operation, the cornea does not become cloudy at all.
- Correction of high degrees of farsightedness (combined with astigmatism).
Surgery
Although laser techniques are considered a surgical intervention for vision correction, they are not abdominal. If the patient is contraindicated in laser treatment of farsightedness, intraocular surgery can help him. Before the operation, individual and accompanying features, as well as the degree of vision changes, must be taken into account.
Basically, such operations are prescribed for older people or with high (+20 diopters) farsightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens. Young patients and patients suffering from senile farsightedness are often treated with a lens replacement or implanted phakic intraocular (intraocular) lenses.
Intraocular lenses
Intraocular lenses are implanted in patients with a high degree of both myopia and hyperopia, as well as astigmatism, patients with thin corneaseyes.
Effective is the use of intraocular lenses in cases where the elasticity of the lens is still preserved, it can not be removed, and the inserted lens will help maintain the ability to see objects near and far, performing a refractive function.
The installation of intraocular phakic lenses is an alternative to the laser method. The result of the operation is stable and reversible, it does not disturb the shape of the cornea. Intraocular lens implantation is more physiological than laser and is therefore suitable for patients under the age of eighteen.
The advantages of the operation are:
- no dystrophy (the lenses do not contact the cornea and iris);
- almost complete biocompatibility with the human eye;
- ultraviolet rays practically do not penetrate through the intraocular phakic lens;
- Fast and painless postoperative recovery of the visual system.
Artificial lens
In cases where the patient's lens is not at all elastic and the ability to accommodate is disturbed, they resort to replacing it with an artificial one. This is a major surgery, but the recovery period is relatively short.
This operation is similar to cataract removal, during which the cloudy lens is removed. The operation can take place on an outpatient basis, the surgeon removes the lens through a small incision using ultrasound and implants an intraocular lens of the desired diopter. At the same time, the seams are not superimposed, and vision is restoredrecovers in about a day.
Removal of the lens is recommended for any degree of farsightedness, but is mainly used in patients over forty to forty-five years old.
