Eye diseases in humans are a very common occurrence. They can be caused by age or genetic factors, as well as have an infectious or bacterial nature. Eye diseases lead to impaired visual function and discomfort. To avoid serious consequences, you need to timely diagnose the development of the disease, an ophthalmologist will help in this.
Eye diseases: names and categories
All eye diseases can be divided into categories:
- Congenital and acquired pathology. This group includes diseases such as myopia, optic nerve hypoplasia, feline eye syndrome, and color blindness.
- Corneal diseases: keratitis, keratoconus, clouding of the cornea. Such diseases can occur in people of any age group. The cause of keratitis, as a rule, is an infection, but keratotonus is manifested due to characteristic changes in the structure of the cornea of the eye. But clouding of the outer shell of the eyeball, which is popularly called a thorn, often occurs in older people.
- Diseases of the eyelids. This category includes blepharitis, ptosis, ectropion, barley, trichiasis, allergic edema of the eyelids. Diseases can be either congenital or acquired.
- Pathologies of an age-related nature. These include glaucoma and cataracts. These eye diseases (a photo of them can be seen in the article) quite often occur in people of advanced age.
Identify the development of a particular pathology can be for certain symptoms. Next, we will consider in detail the eye diseases in humans, the list of which is presented above.
Cat eye disease
The disease has a genetic origin. It develops against the background of mutations occurring on the 22nd chromosome, which leads to a partial absence of the iris or to its deformation.
Genetic changes of this kind lead not only to diseases of the eye apparatus. Pathology brings more serious changes in the human body, which are often incompatible with life. Among them, the following birth defects should be noted:
- heart disease;
- underdevelopment of the organs of the reproductive system;
- lack of anus;
- pathology of the rectum;
- renal failure.
What will be the prognosis, largely depends on the manifestations of the disease. If the symptoms of a genetic ailment are mild, the quality of life will be satisfactory, while with congenital pathologies of internal organs, the risk of death is increased. Cat Eye Syndrome is not treated.
Hypoplasia of the optic nerve
The disease is congenital in nature. Hypoplasia of the optic nerve leads to the fact that the optic disc is reduced in size.
Symptoms of eye disease in people with severe illness are as follows:
- pupil motility is impaired;
- eye muscles weaken;
- vision is impaired;
- the occurrence of "blind spots";
- There are changes in color perception.
The consequences of the development of the pathological process, which is accompanied by a weakening of the eye muscles, may cause severe strabismus. At an early age, the disease can be corrected with glasses and occlusion of a healthy eye. In some cases, laser pleoptics is advisable.
Myopia
Such a disease as myopia (myopia) is hereditary (congenital), as well as acquired in nature. The disease is divided into mild, moderate and high degree. With a congenital pathology, the eyeball is enlarged, due to which the image is not formed correctly. People with myopia do not distinguish objects located at a long distance, since the formation of the image of the object occurs in front of the retina, and not on it.
With an increase in the size of the eyeball, the retina stretches. Often this leads to the appearance of concomitant eye diseases, such as:
- glaucoma;
- dystrophy of the inner lining of the eyeball;
- hemorrhage inside the eye;
- retinal detachment.
Vision correction is done with glasses and contact lenses. If the patient has a moderate or high degree of myopia, it is important to regularly check the condition of the retina. Only an ophthalmologist can determine the health status of your eyes and track the pathological changes that occur in the visual organ.
Also quite a popular treatment for myopia is laser vision correction.
Color blindness
A human eye condition such as color blindness is also called color blindness. A patient with this diagnosis is unable to distinguish between colors, in most cases these are green and red tones.
Color blindness is a congenital pathology in which an abnormal change in the sensitivity of the receptors of the visual organ occurs. Most often, this disease occurs in men. This is due to the fact that its development is due to the gene, which is transmitted through the maternal line and is linked to the X chromosome. This eye disease is not amenable to any treatment.
Conjunctivitis
An eye disease called conjunctivitis is inflammation and redness of the mucous membranes of the outer side of the visual organ. The disease has an infectious nature. The causative agents are:
- bacteria of the staphylococcal, gonococcal and streptococcal families;
- chlamydia
- fungal and viral infections.
Depending on the causes of the ailment, treatment is prescribed. Eye diseases of this kind are easily diagnosed. Therapy includes means to eliminate the causes of the disease and strengthen the immune properties of the human body.
Keratoconus
With this disease, the cornea is thinned and deformed, as a result of which it takes the form of a cone, while in a healthy state it should look like a sphere. This is not an infectious eye disease, but caused by other causes. The development of pathology is due to a violation of the elasticity of the corneal tissue. As a rule, the disease occurs on both organs of vision.
The development of the disease is provoked by disturbances in the endocrine system, a genetic predisposition and traumatic conditions of the eyes. Signs of the disease in most cases occur in the younger generation from 14 to 30 years. The disease can progress at a slow pace over 3-5 years.
The symptoms of this eye disease are very similar to those of astigmatism and myopia. But the peculiarity of this ailment is that vision correction with glasses does not give 100% of the result, since anyway the patient has problems with focusing and sharpness.
The treatment of eye disease (the photo above demonstrates its features) is aimed at stopping the degenerative changes that occur in the cornea. For this, UV rays are used and specialized medications are used.
If the keratoconus has a progressive form, the cornea is very thinning and bulging. Glasses and lenses will not be able to correct vision. The only way out is to have a corneal transplant surgically.
Keratitis
This eye disease is divided into three varieties according to the nature of the origin of the disease. There is traumatic, infectious and allergic keratitis. The most common is an infectious species, the causative agents of which are bacteria, fungi and viruses. Typical symptoms include swelling, redness, and inflammation of the cornea.
The cause of eye disease in traumatic keratitis is damage to the transparent outer shell of the organs of vision, the ingress of chemicals on them.
In case of an allergic type of the disease, eye contact with an irritant is considered a provoking factor, for example, when a plant blooms that can cause an allergic reaction.
People with chronic infectious diseases, reduced immune defense of the body, as well as people with diabetes, are at risk. They are more prone to the development of keratosis.
Quite often, people who use contact lenses are faced with such an ailment. Incorrect installation of lenses, violation of storage and use rules often lead to the occurrence of an inflammatory process of the cornea.
The main symptoms of eye disease are:
- increased tearing;
- pain in the eyes;
- expansion of the blood vessels of the eyeball;
- clouding of the outer shell of the eye;
- a feeling of dryness and burning in the organs of vision;
- photophobia;
- inability to open your eyes wide (blepharospasm).
Treatment is carried out in a hospital, since keratitis is highly likely to scar tissue and irreversibility of the corneal opacity.
In the bacterial form, antibiotic-based drops and ointments are used as therapy.
Keratitis caused by fungal infections is treated with antimycotics.
If the cause of the disease lies in the viruses, drops and ointments are used, which include interferon.
Allergic forms of the disease include the use of antihistamines.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed for severe keratitis.
Corneal clouding
Corneal clouding is an eye disease that is commonly known as a thorn. There may be several reasons for the development of pathology, among them:
- lack of vitamins;
- inflammatory processes affecting the cornea of the eye;
- past diseases of a viral or infectious nature;
- complications after conjunctivitis (when treatment was not completed);
- injuries and burns of the outer shell of the eye.
The development of the disease can be triggered by the improper use of contact lenses. It is important to observe hygiene and follow the instructions for caring for the lenses, otherwise when they are worn, pathogenic microflora will accumulate, which will lead to the onset of an inflammatory process.
Corneal clouding can be an irreversible complication of keratitis. Belmo becomes cloudy, which is clearly visible to the naked eye. With this pathology, sensitivity to light emission increases, lacrimation increases, and visual acuity is impaired.
An ophthalmologist prescribes treatment depending on the nature of the disease:
- If the cause of the pathology is an infection of the cornea or conjunctivitis, funds (drops, ointment), which include an antibiotic, will be required.
- With a viral pathogen, its type is determined, after which antiviral drugs are prescribed.
- If the thorn begins to form due to trauma, funds may be prescribed to improve local blood circulation.
In addition to the main drugs, a complex of vitamins can be prescribed to the patient.
If the treatment was done in a timely manner, in most cases, corneal clouding can be treated. With a severe form of the disease, it will be possible to restore vision only with surgical intervention.
Ptosis of the century
Eyelid diseases also relate to ophthalmic eye diseases. Such pathologies may be acquired or congenital. One such disease is ptosis. With this ailment, the omission of the upper eyelid occurs . As a rule, the disease affects only one eye.
Congenital ptosis occurs due to abnormal development of the nerve, which is responsible for the movement of the eyeball, and genetic disorders can also be the cause of the disease.
The acquired disease is characterized by neurological disorders that may appear during the inflammatory process or damage to the oculomotor nerve.
The upper eyelid is limited in movement. It is difficult for the patient to open his eyes wide and completely. This leads to dryness and irritation of the mucous membranes of the organs of vision. Patients with congenital ptosis often have a pronounced form of strabismus.
The acquired disease lends itself to physiotherapeutic treatment, but not in all cases, such therapy is effective. In order to 100% get rid of the disease, a surgical operation will be required.
Blepharitis
An inflammatory process that affects the edges of the eyelids is also called blepharitis. This is a fairly common ailment, the cause of which can be both endocrine disorders that occur in the body, and demodecosis caused by a subcutaneous tick.
The main symptoms of the disease are:
- eye fatigue;
- hypersensitivity to light;
- the skin of the eyelids becomes painful;
- burning sensation in the eyes;
- redness of the skin of the eyelids;
- increased tearing;
- swelling of the eyelids.
In young children, a form of the disease often occurs, which is accompanied by the formation of ulcers (weeping erosion) and drying crusts on the eyelids.
The tactics of treatment depend on the causes and severity of the disease. As a rule, antihistamines and glucocorticoids are prescribed. They help relieve swelling and inflammation. If the reason lies in the bacterial infection of the eyes, ointments that include an antibiotic will be required. The complex can be used immunostimulants and vitamins.
Trichiasis of the eyelids
Trichiasis is a disease in which the edges of the eyelids are inverted, because of which the eyelashes are turned to the eyeball. Touching corneal hairs will cause irritation and damage to the eye. There is profuse lacrimation. The disease is congenital or acquired. It is treated exclusively by surgery.
Barley
Among all diseases of the eyelids, barley is considered the most common. Most often, the causative agent of the disease is Staphylococcus aureus, which affects the follicles of the eyelashes and sebaceous glands. Symptoms of the disease:
- pain during blinking;
- redness of the skin of the eyelid;
- slight swelling at the site of barley formation.
If a bacterial infection enters the hair follicles and sebaceous glands, pus can form. In this case, barley looks like an inflamed pimple on the eyelid, in the center of which there is a noticeable accumulation of purulent contents of a yellowish or greenish tint.
When treating an ailment, dry heat is used, but this is only until the barley ripens. As soon as a purulent pimple has formed, the use of heat is canceled. Next, therapy is carried out with the help of drops and ointments, in the composition of which an antibiotic is present.
With a mild form of the disease, the use of antibacterial drugs is not required. Barley independently ripens and opens in a few days. Then it passes without a trace.
Glaucoma
This disease is often affected by older people. The development of the disease is closely associated with a prolonged increase in pressure inside the visual organs, which leads to an irreversible degenerative process in the retinal tissues. If treatment is not completed on time, the disease will lead to complete or partial atrophy of the optic nerve. The consequence of the progressive development of the disease is a complete loss of vision.
Most patients with such a diagnosis are people over 65 years old, however, the risk of developing the disease is also high in patients with a high degree of myopia, whose age is from 40 years and above.
The disease is quite difficult to recognize at the initial stages, as often patients do not pay attention to the symptoms: the eyes quickly become tired and see worse during twilight.
Over time, the appearance of multi-colored circles in front of the eyes, after looking at the bright light of the lamp. Further, deterioration in the focusing of the pupil is observed, there is a feeling of discomfort and pain.
It is very important to contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. What will be the treatment, entirely depends on the degree of neglect of the disease. The first thing to do is to normalize intraocular pressure. For this, special drops are used. The complex of therapy also includes neuroprotectors and sympathomimetics. Glaucoma is a very dangerous disease that can lead to complete blindness, so at the slightest discomfort in the eyes, you should consult an ophthalmologist. This will reveal possible violations in the functioning of the organs of vision and prevent the development of a serious ailment in the early stages. This is especially important for people at risk.
Cataract
In the list of eye diseases, cataract is one of the most common ailments among the elderly. With this disease, the lens, which in a healthy state is completely transparent and acts as a lens, necessary for the refraction of a light beam, becomes cloudy. The disease is most often diagnosed in patients older than 65 years. In patients with diabetes, the disease can develop after 50 years.
Clouding of the lens leads to a violation of light refraction, which reduces the clarity of vision. If he became completely muddy, the person will completely lose the ability to see.
It is possible to determine the development of pathology by certain symptoms: a person sees the surrounding objects vaguely, vaguely, as if a film was applied to the eye, although visual acuity persists. In the evening, the symptoms worsen. The only method of treatment is the replacement of the lens, which is carried out by the surgical method.
We examined only some eye diseases, photos and names of which are presented in this article. This list goes on and on. Only the most common diseases were presented to your attention, as well as their causes, symptoms and treatment methods with medication and surgery.
Vision is one of the most important functions of the human body, which is responsible for the quality of life, therefore it must be protected and timely responded to emerging symptoms, which will prevent the occurrence of serious diseases.