Sympathetic ophthalmia: causes, symptoms and treatment

Inflammatory processes in the eyes are always a great danger to human health, especially if they develop against traumatic injuries.Sympathetic ophthalmia - a disease that is accompanied by inflammation, so its treatment must begin immediately.It is especially important to find it in time for the first symptoms.

Definition of disease

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a disease accompanied by non-purulent inflammatory processes.An indispensable condition for the development of the disease is trauma or mechanical damage, the consequences of a surgical operation on one of the eyes. Under these circumstances, it develops on the second, intact.

The disease can occur in a few days or even months, years after injury.According to observations when there is a purulent inflammation in the second eye or ophthalmic hypotension, the probability of ophthalmia development is significantly reduced.

In order to avoid the appearance of sympathetic ophthalmia, it is necessary to take appropriate preventive measures and timely treat the injured eye.

Types and Classifications

Sympathetic ophthalmia has the following forms of development:

• Serous.Characterized by the occurrence of serous iridocyclitis. Most often, therapy in this case gives good predictions and the progression of the disease stops. It occurs with an average frequency.
• Neuritic.It is rarely diagnosed and is an independent pathology. The onset of progression is often inconspicuous and asymptomatic, after a while, a mild neuritis appears. There is dullness and swelling of the tissues, redness. Usually cured with a full restoration of visual functions in only half the cases.
• Mixed.It occurs more often than listed, and combines the symptoms of both forms. In most cases, the therapy is favorable and usually results in a complete recovery of the patient.

Serous form sympathetic ophthalmia

Causes

The main cause of the disease is damage and lesions of the twin eye.Also often as a prerequisite is a concussion or the appearance of any neoplasms. At the same time for the development of inflammation there are no significant reasons.

Also, the cause of inflammation can be a surgical operation on the paired eye or the development of uveitis.

Symptoms

When sympathetic ophthalmia occurs, a number of unpleasant symptoms are observed:

• Increased lacrimation;
• Fear of light;
• Frequent blinking;
• Painful sensations when pressing;
• Redness of tissues;
• Change the pattern of the iris;
• The synechia of the iris;
• Expansion of capillaries;
• Significant abnormal narrowing of the pupil;
• Disturbance of perception and sensation of color;
• Vagueness of the contours of the fundus;
• Slow recovery of clarity.

Symptoms of sympathetic ophthalmia

The patient may experience a drop in visual acuity, especially at night.Over time, the turbidity of the vitreous body begins.

Symptoms can not always be observed in the full composition of the flow of the disease. But with the progression of the disease, they can intensify.

These symptoms may be signs of other serious pathologies of the visual device, so you can not self-medicate and self-diagnosis. Precisely determine the condition of organs only a qualified ophthalmologist.

Possible complications

Among the severe consequences of the lack of timely treatment can be:

• Opacification in the vitreous body;
• Papillitis;
• Violation of the production and outflow of moisture inside the eye, in other words, glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a complication of sympathetic ophthalmia

If ophthalmia developed as uveitis may shrinkage and atrophy of the vitreous, retinal detachment eyes, decreased muscle tone and vision, the deterioration of its quality and blindness.

The disease proceeds slowly and may be accompanied by periods of exacerbation and improvement of the condition. The stoppage of its progression and the return of visual functions are possible only with properly selected therapy.

Timely initiation of treatment is necessary, since the disease can be completely cured only at the early stages of its development. In rare cases, in the later stages, it is possible to remove the eyeball.

Diagnostics

Research and diagnosis of problems usually involves the following measures:

• Visual inspection of affected areas;
• Ophthalmoscopy (helps to identify other possible disabilities of the visual apparatus);
• Biomicroscopy (facilitates the examination of the cornea and lens of the eye);
• Histomorphological study (allows to study tissue and detect other possible inflammatory processes in the organs of vision).

Conduction of ophthalmoscopy

Often, an important additional information is provided by the patient's questionnaire.Only after all of these procedures, a physician can diagnose correctly determine the progression of stage and appropriate treatment.

Accurate information is very important for a correct diagnosis. Therefore, during the interview, it is necessary to describe the situation as truly as possible and to answer the questions of the oculist.

Treatment

The choice of the method of eye therapy can largely depend on the stage of the development of the disease.

Medicines

Medical treatment is effective at the first stages of the progression of sympathetic ophthalmia.In this case, immunomodulators are usually used. Among them:

• Cytotoxic drugs;
• Anti-lymphocyte serum;
• Glucocorticosteroids;
• Antimetabolites.

Midriatic drugs should be used when uveitis occurs.Antiallergic and anti-inflammatory drugs may also be used.

These types of medicines may include both topical and oral medications.

Surgically

Antiallergic and anti-inflammatory drugs may be assigned to and during surgery.They are necessary to restore normal quality of vision and muscle tone. In some cases, surgery is required to improve the condition of the eyeball tissue.

The most radical method of treatment is complete removal of the eye.However, ophthalmologists often try at all times to maintain body, even if it has lost its visual function.

Use additional medicines and recipes of traditional medicine only after consultation of the attending physician. The same applies to the combination of this treatment with the therapy of other diseases.

Prevention

It is rather difficult to prevent the occurrence of sympathetic ophthalmia.This is due to its unpredictability and prediction difficulty. The disease occurs infrequently and is not always the result of injury.Therefore, among the main measures for prevention are the following:

• Timely eliminate diseases of the organs of vision;
• Avoid situations involving a high risk of injury to the eyes;
• Correctly conduct all necessary hygienic procedures and avoid infectious infection;
• To monitor the condition of the visual apparatus, to undergo preventive examinations at the ophthalmologist at least once a year.

In the event of any abnormal phenomena associated with the visual apparatus, it is necessary to seek the assistance of a qualified eye specialist.

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conclusions

Sympathetic ophthalmia is one of the diseases of the organs of vision, which are most dangerous for humans.In case of serious complications, complete loss of vision is possible, and in rare cases, removal of the eyeball can be indicated. However, timely treatment (especially in the early stages of development) can eliminate the problem and return all the main functions of the visual apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to start it as early as possible and if you find the first symptoms, seek qualified help.