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.
Retinitis is an inflammatory process in the retina of the eye caused by endogenous or exogenous mechanisms of development. Clinically, disease is manifested by a decrease in visual acuity, changes in the boundaries of the visual field, metamorphopsy, color perception disorder. Diagnosis includes ophthalmoscopy, visometry, perimetry, color testing, fluorescence angiography of the fundus, OCT, electrophysiological…
Retinal migraine is a separate type of paroxysmal migraine headache, characterized by the presence of transient visual disturbances in the form of monocular single /multiple falls in the field of vision or complete blindness in one eye. The duration of visual impairment is characteristic, not exceeding 1 h. Retinal migraine is diagnosed on the basis…
Rheumatic uveitis is an autoimmune lesion of the structures of the uveal tract of the eyeball. Common symptoms for all forms are hyperemia, conjunctival injection, pain, photophobia and lacrimation. Diagnosis of rheumatic uveitis includes external examination, visometry, tonometry, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, gonioscopy. With anterior uveitis, local use of mydriatics, NSAIDs, glucocorticosteroids (GC) is indicated. The second-line…
Exotropia is an oculomotor disorder in which the eyeball is deflected outward. Clinical signs of pathology include permanent or periodic displacement of the eye, complaints of diplopia, violation of binocular vision. To make a diagnosis, visometry, autorefractometry, a closing-opening test, a study on a synoptophore, a Worth test are carried out. Conservative therapy is reduced…
Retinal tear is an acquired pathology of the visual organ, which is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the retina with a high risk of its further detachment. Clinical manifestations of the disease are photopsias, “flies” or “veil” in front of the eyes, central or peripheral scotomas. Diagnosis of retinal tear is based…
Pterygium is a triangular-shaped ingrowth that forms with the medial (internal) the sides of the conjunctival membrane of the eyeball, and has a length up to the surface layers of the cornea. It occurs more often asymptomatically, with the aggravation of the disease, there may be complaints of a cosmetic defect, dry eyes, decreased visual…
Pseudoexfoliative syndrome is a uveopathy characterized by the deposition of an amyloid–like substance on the structures of the anterior segment of the eyeball. The clinical picture is represented by visual dysfunction, the appearance of “opacities” and “rainbow circles” in front of the eyes, blurred vision. Diagnostics is based on ultrasound biomicroscopy, classical biomicroscopy using a…
Orbital pseudotumor is a heterogeneous group of diseases of the orbit, including primary idiopathic myositis, dacryoadenitis, local and diffuse vasculitis. Common clinical manifestations of all forms are exophthalmos, pain in the eye socket, edema and hyperemia of the eyelids. Diagnosis of orbital pseudotumor includes external examination and palpation, ophthalmoscopy, visiometry, computed tomography, histomorphological and cytological…
Amaurosis fugax is a one–sided, sudden short-term vision loss that develops due to trauma or progressive ischemia. Visual dysfunction is characterized by the appearance of a “dark curtain” in front of the eyes against the background of complete well-being or aura in the form of photopsias. There is a pain syndrome. The mobility of the…
Presbyopia is an age–related decrease in the accommodative ability of the eye associated with the natural aging process of the lens. Presbyopia is manifested by a deterioration in the ability to see at close range: blurring and blurring of vision near, asthenopic symptoms (headaches, eye fatigue, poor general well-being). Diagnosis includes vision testing, assessment of…
