Experts warn that the number of people whose eyesight deteriorates is growing rapidly. At the same time, every third Pole has never visited an ophthalmologist. Ignoring problems with your eyesight in this way can even lead to loss of your eyesight. This is especially the case with eye diseases that develop in hiding … So do not delay the visit to the ophthalmologist any longer.

Contents:

  1. Why do I see worse - blurry look
  2. Why do I see worse - narrowed field of view
  3. Why do I see worse - a stain in the center
  4. Why do I see worse - flashes and spots
  5. Why do I see worse - no sharpness

The first signs of vision problems can be missed, especially when changes occur in only one eye. The other eye sees well and compensates for the shortcomings, and it seems to us that everything is fine.

Therefore, it often happens that sight defects or eye diseases are detected by chance, e.g. during periodic employee examinations. Unfortunately, these tests, depending on the profession, are carried out every few years, e.g. in people using a computer - every 4 years.

And we should check our eyesight every 2 years, when we don't have any problems. People who wear glasses and over 50 must visit an ophthalmologist once a year to check that the defect does not worsen and that age-related diseases do not develop. These include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration (AMD), and retinal detachment. These are serious diseases that can lead to irreversible loss of vision.

Regularly checking eyesight, you can detect them in time, then there is still a chance for effective treatment.

Why do I see worse - blurry look

When images become slightly blurry and become very cloudy over time, problems with seeing colors arise, this may herald a cataract (cataract). It consists in the progressive clouding of the lens. In most cases, it results from the body's natural aging process and is difficult to prevent.

What tests:In order to find a cataract, the ophthalmologist must examine the fundus of the eye (before the examination he drops a drug that dilates the pupil) using a special Volk lens. He brings it first to one eye, then to the other and assesses the lenses.Cloudiness is a sign of a cataract.

What to do:An effective method of cataract treatment is surgical removal of the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial one.

Why do I see worse - narrowed field of view

Glaucoma leads to irreversible damage to the optic nerve. There are two types of it: primary, in which the cause and development of glaucomatous neuropathy is unknown, and secondary, resulting from obstruction of the outflow of aqueous humor and a significant increase in intraocular pressure, which arose as a result of other disease processes in the eye. The symptoms of glaucoma may include scotomas in front of the eyes and a narrowed field of vision (so-called tunnel vision). In an acute attack, when the drainage of the aqueous humor is completely blocked, the eye is hard and painful, visual disturbances occur.

What tests:To diagnose glaucoma, it is necessary to test the field of view (perimetry), which allows to determine how much of the image is perceived by the fixed eye. The patient observes (first with one eye, then the other) the moving point of light and must signal whether it appears, dims or disappears. The ophthalmologist also examines the fundus of the eye, measures the intraocular pressure (tonometry) with a special probe that is placed against the eye, and assesses the size of the drainage angle using a gonioscope or a Goldmann triple mirror (it looks like a glass).

What to do:Intraocular pressure-lowering drops and medications to increase blood flow in the vessels that nourish the optic nerve are used. If treatment is unsuccessful, surgery may be performed.

Why do I see worse - a stain in the center

When straight lines begin to wiggle, objects change shape, colors are difficult to distinguish, and the focal point of the image is obscured by fog, this may indicate age-related macular degeneration. This irreversible disease causes changes in the central part of the retina (macula) and is the third cause of blindness after glaucoma and cataracts, and the first among the elderly.

What tests:The Amsler test is helpful in detecting early changes - a board with a grid of lines with a black dot in the center. If the patient sees distorted lines when viewing the grid from a distance of 30 cm, this may indicate an illness. To assess changes in the retina, an ophthalmologist performs a fundus examination.

It allows you to determine the type of AMD - the so-called Dry degeneration (lipid deposits accumulate under the macula) or wet degeneration (blood vessels overgrow under the retina).

What to do:You can only stop the development of the disease. In a dry form thatit develops slowly and causes less damage, drugs that improve blood circulation are used, as well as a diet rich in ingredients valuable to the eyes. It is also important to protect the eyes from UV radiation. Photodynamic therapy and intravitreal injections are used to treat wet AMD, which progresses rapidly.

Why do I see worse - flashes and spots

Retinal detachment is the separation of the sensory layer of the retina from the pigment epithelium, which properly adhere to each other due to the negative pressure caused by the fluid between them. When there is, for example, a hole in the retina, there is no negative pressure and the fluid from the vitreous chamber delaminates these two structures.

The symptom may be flashes and spots in front of the eyes, the image covered with a spider's web (e.g. after intense physical exertion). The field of view is also reduced, because where the retina detached, part of the image disappears. The disease requires prompt ophthalmic assistance.

What tests:An ophthalmologist can make a diagnosis based on a fundus examination. Sometimes he also performs an ultrasound of the eyeball.

What to do:If surgery is performed within hours of noticing symptoms, the patient can be restored to good visual acuity. It is possible to sew on the eyeball special sponges or silicone tapes to seal the defects in the retina.

Visual impairment or blindness affects almost 1.4 million Poles, i.e. every fourth person with a diagnosed disability, mostly after the age of 50.

Why do I see worse - no sharpness

Can't see the number of an approaching bus? Having trouble reading the fine print? Research shows that about 80% of us have various types of vision defects, but not all of them require correction, many are small, and some are related to the development period. But it needs to be investigated.

Early detection of the defect can prevent a permanent decrease in visual acuity, which cannot be eliminated even by surgery. In addition, uncorrected defects may be the cause of, inter alia, headaches or trouble concentrating.

The most common faults are:

  • nearsightedness (poor vision of distant objects),
  • hyperopia (problems with seeing up close),
  • astigmatism (distorted and out of focus image),
  • presbyopia (blurred close-up vision, caused by the natural aging process of the lens).

What tests:To check visual acuity, the ophthalmologist performs a computer eye examination (computer refractometry), which allows to determine the type of the defect and its value.The doctor also checks visual acuity using Snellen charts with characters (e.g., letters, numbers) decreasing in size from top to bottom. If they are not readable in any of the rows, the ophthalmologist puts on the test person frames with replaceable corrective lenses and changes them until the subject determines that the image is the sharpest.

The supplement to this test is the assessment of near vision acuity, i.e. the ability to read fine print from a distance of approx. 30 cm. Based on the results of these tests, the power of eyeglass lenses or contact lenses is selected, which help the eye to see properly.

Eyes well nourished

What you eat has a big impact on the condition of your eyes. Research shows, for example, that AMD is more common in people who eat a lot of purified carbohydrates, such as in sweets, white bread or rice.

Therefore, make sure that your menu includes the ingredients necessary for proper vision: vitamins A, C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin E (almonds, olive oil), which is a strong antioxidant, ensures the tightness of the cell membranes of the eyes; C (citrus, parsley) improves the nourishment of the lens. Vitamin A deficiency (cheese, butter, egg yolks) causes poor twilight vision, the so-called night blindness, and zinc (seafood, nuts, fish) can lead to myopia.

Two substances from the carotenoid group are also important for good eyesight: lutein (kale, spinach) and zeaxanthin (corn, peas), natural pigments present in the retina that have antioxidant properties, protect the eyes from the harmful effects of UV radiation and prevent degenerative changes in the macula.

Omega-3 fatty acids (fatty sea fish, linseed) slow down the aging process of the eyes and relieve the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

Diet supports the treatment of AMD

If you want to know more, read also:

  • Eye diseases and sight defects - symptoms, causes and treatment
  • Visual disturbance is a symptom of the disease. Causes of visual impairment
  • Double vision - causes, symptoms and treatment
  • Ocular migraine: causes, symptoms, treatment

Category:

Geriatrics