People of advanced age often have various vision problems. One of the diseases that cause them is epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What is it, it’s hard to imagine a young healthy person. But people who have crossed the sixty-year milestone are faced with a similar ailment quite often.
Epiretinal fibrosis of the eye: what is it
The initial stage of the disease most often proceeds unnoticed by humans. At this stage, an epiretinal membrane begins to form in the center of the retina . In appearance, it resembles a thin transparent film.
The whitish mass begins to deform the retina. It pulls her together. Due to this effect, the retina becomes wrinkled and folded.
Over time, the epiretinal membrane begins to become stiffer and thicker. Fibrous changes cause edema of the retina and contribute to its rupture. All this is manifested in the deterioration of human vision.
Symptoms
The manifestation of signs of the disease becomes a complete surprise for the elderly. They experience symptoms accompanying epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What is it and why vision problems started - the old people cannot understand.
Most often, such anomalies are observed in patients:
- there are blind spots;
- straight lines bend;
- there are problems with the examination of small objects;
- there are problems reading;
- the ability to see in a poorly lit place is impaired;
- the picture is clouded;
- contours of objects are distorted;
- doubles in the eyes.
In the absence of medical care, the manifestation of pathology is enhanced. A correct description of the symptoms to the doctor is of great importance for determining the degree of development of the disease and the need for the timing of its treatment.
Causes
For the correct diagnosis and fight against the disease, it is important to determine not only the forms of its manifestation, but also the causes. In most cases, epiretinal ocular fibrosis develops idiopathically. Its occurrence has no reason. Doctors conclude that this happens against the background of age-related changes in the body.
However, in some cases, factors that give impetus to the development of anomalies are available. Their definition is important for proper diagnosis and treatment predictions.
There are cases when a disease such as uveitis caused epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. What it is? Inflammation of the choroid of the eyeball. Uveitis is the collective name for a group of inflammations. The pathological process can be localized in different parts of the lining of the eye.
Other causes of epiretinal fibrosis of the eye are:
- retinal detachment;
- transferred ophthalmological operations;
- diabetes mellitus retinopathy;
- injuries.
Diagnostics
Early access to medical care increases the chances of restoration of vision. An ophthalmologist and surgeon can correctly diagnose epiretinal retinal fibrosis.
The specialist should conduct a visual examination of the patient and listen to his complaints. To collect a complete history, the following data are specified:
- the time of appearance of the first signs of the disease;
- vision problems in the past;
- eye injuries;
- symptoms of concomitant diseases;
- the presence of any chronic ailments.
Very often, when examining very old people, epiretinal fibrosis of the eye and cataract are diagnosed. In this case, both diseases are treated immediately. A correctly compiled medical history helps a specialist determine the optimal scheme for combating pathologies.
Folk remedies
Very rarely, separation of the retinal deforming film occurs spontaneously. Vision begins to recover gradually. Sometimes it helps to overcome epiretinal fibrosis of the eye with folk remedies.
For example, a remedy is prepared from lingonberry leaves, marigold flowers and medicinal chamomile. Herbs are chopped and mixed in equal amounts. A decoction is made of them. Take this tool twice a day for a month and a half. Before this, you should definitely consult your doctor.
Preparation for surgery
In most cases, self-rejection of the film does not occur. The patient is developing epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. Treatment in this case is only operational.
Before surgery, the patient is examined by an endocrinologist, otolaryngologist and dentist. These doctors examine the patient for possible postoperative complications.
The next step in preparing for surgery is the delivery of tests. Blood and urine tests are done:
- showing sugar levels;
- general;
- for hepatitis, HIV, Wasserman reaction.
The last stage of preparation is the removal of the electrocardiogram and the study of the fluorogram. After that, the day of surgery is assigned.
Surgical intervention
The process of getting rid of the anomaly occurs under local anesthesia. For the operation, the presence of:
- special solutions;
- devices for supplying them to the eye;
- scattering lenses;
- a light supply device;
- a microscope.
Only an experienced ophthalmic surgeon should remove the affected membrane, eliminating epiretinal fibrosis of the eye. The operation is very delicate and requires jewelry accuracy of the doctor. It consists of several stages:
- at the site of fibrous formation, the vitreous body is removed;
- excised tissue located in the molecular region;
- to prevent retinal displacement, the missing volume is filled with saline.
With a successful outcome of the surgical intervention, the patient again sees the outside world without abnormal distortions.
Repeated surgery may sometimes be required.
Recovery
If a successful outcome, the patient goes home on the same day. The doctor prescribes the use of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ophthalmic drugs. Their use helps:
- reduce the risk of infection;
- reduce the likelihood of edema;
- to prevent complications.
There is a list of recommendations that can facilitate the process of postoperative rehabilitation. The basic rules are:
- periodic visits to the doctor;
- temporary cessation of driving;
- avoiding watching TV, reading, using a computer;
- lack of mechanical effects on the eyes (friction, pressure, scratching);
- wearing sunglasses.
The implementation of the recommendations allows you to speed up the recovery process and prevent possible postoperative complications from developing.
It is also worth remembering that the development of epiretinal fibrosis of the eye cannot be prevented. Methods for the prevention of the disease does not exist. However, timely detection of the disease is quite possible. For this, it is necessary to undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist every six months.