Astigmatism: features of the disease, causes, symptoms and treatment

The basic information about the world around us is obtained through visual channels. When the vision is disturbed, the quality of life in general also suffers. Eye diseases in modern medicine stand out a lot, and each of them has a certain set of symptoms. In this article we will discuss astigmatism - the disorder of the visual system, which is accompanied by a distorted or fuzzy vision of objects. The disease is lensy, corneal and general (that is, it can affect only the lens, only the cornea or both parts of the eye).

Definition of disease

The word "astigmatism" in Latin means "absence of a point in this case a focal point. In this disease, a person sees objects distorted or simply blurred.

Astigmatism develops usually as a result of irregular shape, and much less often - the lens.These parts of the eye should have a spherical flat surface, and with astigmatism it is incorrect.

In meridians, as a result, the refractive force is not the same, and when passing through the cornea, the light rays do not converge on the retina as they should at one point.

Astigmatism can be of different types - congenital and acquired, lens and corneal, direct and reverse. Also, the disease is myopic and hypermetropic, simple and complex.

Consider the main types of astigmatism:

1. Depending on the causes of the disease is congenital and acquired.
2. At the site of localization it is lens-like(rarely) andcoronine(almost 99% of all cases).
3. Depending on the refractive power of the meridians, astigmatism can be direct(if the vertical meridian has maximum force),as well as the reverse(if it is horizontal).

The nature of the disease largely depends on the type of violation of refraction:

1. With myopic simple astigmatism, vision will be normal in one meridian, the patient is also diagnosed with nearsightedness.
2. Myopic complex disorders suggest the presence of myopia in both meridians, but the degree of myopia will be different.
3. The diagnosis of hypermetropic simple astigmatism is set when long-sightedness is noted in one meridian, and in the other the vision is completely normal.
4. Hypermotropic complex pathology presupposes hyperopia in both meridians, but it is uneven.

There is also a mixed astigmatism - in this case in one meridian there will be short-sightedness, and in the second long sight. The degree of violations can be different - weak, medium and high (up to two, three or more than four diopters, respectively).

Causes

Astigmatism can have an innate and acquired character. Congenital is determined genetically - that is, a child gets an ailment from one of the parents.

With congenital astigmatism, the child inherits the wrong shape of the cornea from the parents.

In this case, people with an ideal cornea do not exist - each of us has a certain degree of violations. But if it is less than 0.5 diopters, it does not affect the quality of vision.

Are there people with an ideal cornea? No, but with minor deviations from the norm, distortions of vision are not observed.

Acquired astigmatism occurs as a result of damage to the cornea. Among the main reasons:

• operations with scar formation;
• trauma to the eye;
• conjunctiva;
• corneal burns;
• keratitis, keratoconus, dystrophy;
• Eyelid diseases.

If the shape of the cornea changes - the optical properties will also become different.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of the disease are a decrease in vision near and far, the degree of distortion depends on the severity of the disorders. But there are other indicators, namely:

• Irritation, discomfort in the eyes.
• Rapid fatigue, general eye fatigue.
• Headaches in the zone above the eyebrows.
• Problems with focusing while reading and writing.
• Partial vision improvement with tilting and turning the head. Similarly with a squint.

Reducing vision and distorting objects are the main symptoms of astigmatism.

Possible complications

Complications of astigmatism can be caused both by the disease itself and by its incorrect treatment. Competent therapy, on the contrary, reduces the risks of complications to a minimum.

The main complications of the disease:

• amblyopia;
• strabismus;
• relapse after surgery.

Amblyopia occurs with prolonged progression of the disease and is associated with the functional rearrangement of the fibers and neurons of the brain. If you bring the matter to amblyopia, the problem can not be solved even with the help of laser correction.

If the patient does not cure the disease and for a clearer visibility of the objects blinks, tilts his head in the side, after a while he may develop strabismus.Relapses after the operation are infrequent, but still possible. The minimal risk of relapse is caused by such interventions as lens replacement or the installation of phakic (intraocular) lenses.

Complications of astigmatism arise from the absence of treatment or after the operation.

Treatment

Treatment of astigmatism can be performed surgically and medically. But doctors say that only operations are really effective.

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Conservative methods

Non-surgical treatments for astigmatism are not the most effective, but in some cases they give good results:

• Wearing glasses and lenses for correction.The doctor appoints glasses with cylindrical lenses, which correct the shortcomings of the optical system of the eye. Likewise, contact lenses work, but the list of contraindications is wider. In addition, the constant use of lenses can lead to dystrophic processes in the retina, causing inflammation.
• Treatment with drops for eyes.It is conducted by courses 2 or 3 times a year, strictly according to the doctor's prescription. Drops can be vitamin or normal, they improve metabolism and blood circulation. A complete cure method does not, but the support is good.

The maximum efficiency of glasses correction with special lenses is in childhood.

Surgical procedures

Operation is the only way to completely cure astigmatism. The main types of interventions:

1. Keratotomy- on the surface of the cornea from the outside the surgeon makes several incisions, due to which the refractive power of the problem meridian weakens. The effectiveness of keratotomy, as the doctors themselves say, is doubtful.
2. Thermokerukoagulation- the main way to treat hypermetropic astigmatism. The surgeon cauterizes the peripheral corneal areas with a thin heated needle, which increases the refractive power and curvature of the cornea. A large list of pobochek.
3. Implantation of a phakic lens- one of the most modern techniques, involves the implantation of a specially selected lens under the cornea. The main disadvantage is the cost, in addition, in the future when the lens is implanted and other operations in the eyes, the lens has to be removed and put back, and this is an additional considerable expense.
4. Replacement of the lens- the most correct method of surgical treatment in the event that the disease is caused by problems with the lens. Complications are rare, but they are possible, so after the operation you need constant monitoring.
5. Laser correction- "gold standard" of surgical treatment of astigmatism. The operation uses the techniques of thermokeratoplasty and keratotomy, but with the use of a laser. Contraindications still exist (pregnancy, diabetes, etc.).

Prevention

Curing astigmatism by popular methods is impossible, since it is not a reversible change, it is a violation of the normal structure of the cornea. But preventive measures that significantly reduce the likelihood of developing astigmatism exist:

• Do not read lying.
• Intermittent workloads intermittently.
• Make sure that the lighting on the left side when reading, writing is sufficient.
• Go in for sports.
• Eat right.
• From time to time, take vitamins for the eyes.
• Good results are given by special gymnastics - it relieves tension from the ciliary muscle of the eye. But remember that the exercises will have to be done regularly.

Folk methods are powerless in the treatment of astigmatism, but "home" measures to prevent the development of the disease are available to everyone.

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conclusions

Astigmatism is a disease caused by the wrong structure of the cornea of ​​the eye and very rarely the lens. It can be congenital and acquired, direct and reverse, corneal, crystalline, general. The degree of violation depends on the image distortion. If astigmatism is not treated, complications can develop, sometimes they appear after operations. The only way to cure the disease is surgery.

Also read about what is strabismus and coloboma.