Ophthalmology is a field of clinical medicine that studies eye diseases: pathological conditions of the eyeball and the accessory apparatus of the eye – lacrimal glands, eyelids, conjunctiva, as well as bone and soft tissue structures surrounding the eyes.
The most important task of ophthalmology is the development and improvement of methods for the prevention, detection and treatment of eye diseases aimed at preserving and correcting visual function. Specialists in the field of eye diseases are ophthalmologists. More narrow ophthalmological specialties include surgical and laser ophthalmology, ophthalmooncology, ophthalmic traumatology, pediatric ophthalmology, etc.
The visual analyzer is a unique sense organ in its meaning. With the help of vision, a person receives up to 80% of information about the world around him. Unfortunately, the percentage of people suffering from eye diseases worldwide is steadily increasing. Therefore, it is so important to have an idea of the first signs of eye diseases, measures for the prevention of ophthalmopathology and ways of its treatment, as well as to understand the importance of timely seeking qualified ophthalmological care.
A disease of this category can occur at any age: they can be genetically determined, congenital, acquired. In children, a significant decrease and loss of vision leads to a delay in mental development, negatively affects the speech function, the motor sphere in the future, forms distorted, fuzzy, fragmentary ideas about the surrounding reality, makes it difficult to establish social ties and behavioral skills in society.
In this regard, the system of early care in ophthalmology provides screening of newborns, children of early, preschool and school age in order to identify subclinical signs (retinopathy of prematurity, strabismus, amblyopia, glaucoma, cataracts, myopia, hyperopia, etc.) and provide early correctional medical and pedagogical assistance.
Acquired diseases can be associated with common and infectious human diseases: beriberi A, measles rubella, diabetes mellitus, injuries, chronic foci of bacterial infection, hypertension, atherosclerosis, renal pathology, neurological diseases, pregnancy pathology, etc. Most often in ophthalmology eye diseases are diagnosed, characterized by abnormalities in the optical apparatus of the eye – hyperopia, presbyopia, myopia, astigmatism, etc.
A large group of eye diseases consists of inflammatory pathology of various structures of the organ of vision – conjunctivitis, keratitis, blepharitis, iridocyclitis, retinitis, uveitis, endophthalmitis, barley, etc. Traumatic damage to the structures of the eye is extremely dangerous in its consequences – burns, mechanical damage to the eyes, ingestion of foreign bodies.
Diseases can develop acutely or gradually, suddenly manifesting itself with a sharp decrease in vision. This kind of pathology primarily includes diseases of the neurovascular apparatus of the eye: atrophy of the optic nerve, ischemic neuropathy of the optic nerve, occlusion of the arteries and veins of the retina, chorioretinal dystrophy, etc. Factors that negatively affect the function of vision and increase the risk of eye diseases are considered age, chronic heart and vascular diseases, metabolic diseases, adverse environmental conditions, stress, smoking, deficiency of vitamins and rare trace elements (zinc, selenium), etc.
The last decades have been marked by the rapid development of ophthalmology. At the disposal of specialists today are modern equipment, innovative technologies, minimally invasive techniques. To detect eye diseases, a large range of diagnostic techniques is used – test, biometric, ultrasound, electrophysiological, X-ray, optical, laboratory, etc. Laser installations used for vision correction, treatment of corneal and retinal pathology, glaucoma and cataracts have found wide application in the surgery of eye diseases.
Traditional therapeutic manipulations, hardware methods of vision correction, microsurgical techniques for the treatment have not lost their relevance in ophthalmology. To date, most surgical interventions in ophthalmology can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Ectopia lentis is a displacement of the lens relative to its physiological position, which develops as a congenital condition or is the result of injuries, ophthalmic diseases. Pathology is manifested by deterioration of visual acuity, double vision, pain in the area of the affected eye. Headache, conjunctival hemorrhages, inflammation of deep structures of the eye are…
Exophthalmos is a mono or binocular displacement of the eyeball forward. Common symptoms for most forms are obstructed eye movements, diplopia, burning sensation and pain due to increased dryness of the conjunctiva. Diagnosis of exophthalmos is based on the collection of anamnesis, external examination, exophthalmometry, ophthalmoscopy, visometry, tonometry, biomicroscopy, Doppler ultrasound, OCT. Treatment tactics depend…
Central serous chorioretinopathy is a pathology of the visual organ characterized by serous detachment of the neuroepithelial layer of the retina in combination with or without detachment of the pigment epithelium. It is clinically manifested by a decrease in visual acuity, the appearance of “spots” in front of the eyes, macro- or microphotopsias, metamorphopsias, less…
Choroideremia is a hereditary dystrophy of the vascular membrane of the eye, which is characterized by damage to the retina, pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. The clinical picture is represented by a violation of twilight vision, a feeling of a foreign body in the eyes, headache. The progression of the disease leads to amaurosis. Diagnostics is…
Chorioretinitis is an inflammation of the posterior choroid and retina. The main symptoms of the disease are the appearance of “flies” and “floating opacities” in front of the eyes, a violation of dark adaptation, decreased vision, photopsia, macro- and micropsia. Diagnostics is based on bacteriological seeding, ELISA, determination of C-reactive protein, gonioscopy, angiography, perimetry, ophthalmoscopy.…
Age-related macular degeneration is an involutional dystrophic changes affecting mainly the choriocapillary layer of the vascular membrane of the eye, the retinal pigment layer and the vitreous plate located between them (Bruch’s membrane). The symptoms include distortion of straight lines, the appearance of blind spots in the field of vision, flashes of light, loss of…
Chlamydial conjunctivitis is an infectious lesion of the mucous membrane of the eyes with chlamydia, accompanied by acute or chronic inflammation of the conjunctiva. Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs with swelling of the conjunctiva and transitional folds, purulent discharge from the eyes, lacrimation, pain in the eyes, follicular rashes on the lower eyelid, parotid adenopathy, eustachian phenomena.…
Chalazion is a benign tumor–like seal (hailstone) in the thickness of the eyelid, developing against the background of blockage and chronic inflammation of the meibomian gland. Chalazion is manifested by the presence of a nodule and swelling on the eyelid, pressure on the eyeball, irritation of the membranes of the eye, sometimes suppuration and spontaneous…
Lacrimal sac phlegmon is an acute diffuse purulent inflammation of the lacrimal sac with the spread of infection to the surrounding fiber. The disease is manifested by pain, swelling and hyperemia in the inner corner of the eye, an increase in body temperature. In the process of diagnosing the phlegmon of the lacrimal sac, the…
Orbital cellulitis is a diffuse purulent inflammation of the orbital fiber. Orbital cellulitis is characterized by a severe general condition (headache, nausea, febrile fever), pulsating pain in the orbit, exophthalmos, diplopia, edema and hyperemia of the eyelids, conjunctival chemosis, decreased visual acuity, limited mobility of the eyeball. Diagnosis involves establishing a connection between the disease…
