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.
Bogorad syndrome is a pathology based on the development of which is the germination of the fibers of the facial or excretory nerves into the lacrimal and salivary glands. The main manifestations of the disease are increased lacrimation during meals, which can be combined with hypersalivation, photophobia, irritation of the skin of the face. MRI…
Horner’s syndrome is a symptom complex caused by a lesion of the sympathetic nervous system, manifested by ophthalmological disorders, disorders of sweating and vascular tone on the side of the lesion. The clinical picture is represented by ptosis, myosis, endophthalmos in combination with hyperemia and dyshydrosis of half of the face. To make a diagnosis,…
Sympathetic ophthalmia is a binocular lesion of the visual organ that develops after damage to the uveal tract, followed by involvement in the pathological process of the second intact eyeball. The most common symptoms are hyperemia, lacrimation, photophobia, “flies” in front of the eyes, decreased visual acuity. Diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia is reduced to the…
Rubeosis iridis is a disease characterized by the appearance of newly formed vessels on the anterior surface of the iris. Clinical symptoms are represented by visual discomfort, a slight decrease in visual acuity, photophobia, the appearance of “fog” in front of the eyes. To make a diagnosis, biomicroscopy of the eye, gonioscopy, tonography, ophthalmoscopy and…
Rosacea keratitis is an inflammatory infiltrative lesion of the cornea associated with pink acne of the facial skin. Rosacea keratitis is accompanied by corneal syndrome, the phenomena of mucopurulent conjunctivitis and iritis, the appearance of infiltrates and ulcers on the cornea, which develop against the background of rashes on the skin of the face. Diagnosis…
Ocular erysipelas is an acute infectious disease of the eyelid skin that develops when infected with b-hemolytic streptococcus, less often with Staphylococcus. Common symptoms for all forms are soreness and swelling of the eyelids, hyperthermia, general weakness. Diagnostics is based on ultrasound examination of the eye, biomicroscopy, laboratory tests (blood test, coagulogram). Drug therapy includes…
Retrobulbar neuritis is an inflammatory lesion of the area of the optic nerve located between the orbit and the optic junction. It is accompanied by a decrease in visual acuity, the appearance of prolapses, limitations of visual fields, pain when moving the eyeball. Diagnosis includes a comprehensive neurological and ophthalmological examination. Treatment is carried out…
Retinoschisis is a pathological change in the retina, in which there is a separation of the retinal layers into external (choroidal) and internal (vitreal). The main cause of development is considered to be a violation of blood circulation in the retina. There are no clinical manifestations in the early stages of retinoschisis, symptoms occur only…
Retinopathy is a lesion of retinal vessels that leads to impaired blood supply to the retina, its dystrophy, optic nerve atrophy and blindness. Disease proceeds painlessly: at the same time, there is the appearance of floating spots (cattle) and shrouds in front of the eyes, a progressive decrease in vision. Diagnosis requires consultations of specialists…
Retinoblastoma is a malignant intraocular neoplasm that develops from the neuroectoderm of the retina and occurs mainly in young children. The retinoblastoma clinic is characterized by loss of central and binocular vision, pain, leukocoria, development of strabismus, exophthalmos, secondary inflammation and glaucoma. Examination in case of suspected retinoblastoma includes examination of vision, measurement of intraocular…
