How COVID-19 has affected our vision

causes of visual impairment, photos from social networks Did you know that a person perceives 80% of information through vision? Another 10% goes to hearing, 5% to taste and 5% to sensitivity. The rest we evaluate with our eyes. If we speak in simple language, then, for example: how tasty this food will be, how painful the doctor will give the injection, how loud the DJ will turn on the music now - our eyes will give an assessment. Seeing the whole situation around, the eyeball sends an instant signal to the brain. It transmits the impulse to the contact center so that the tongue prepares for tasting the taste, the eardrums do not burst from loud music, and the muscles prepare for the injection.

But vision, like all our organs, is not eternal. It tends to deteriorate or recover due to operations and procedures on it. Therefore, when vision decreases, a person who is accustomed to receiving complete information begins to panic. To find out the reasons, make a diagnosis, and begin treatment for poor vision, you should consult a specialized ophthalmologist. He will be able to conduct a thorough diagnosis, thanks to special clinical instruments, tests, and questioning of the patient. We suggest studying our article in order to avoid factors that impair vision. We’ll also tell you about:

What are the causes of visual impairment?
What causes vision loss?
What to do if your vision has decreased significantly, what diseases could they be?
What to do to prevent vision from deteriorating?
Prevention: how not to lose vision?

Remember! We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the information and a possible solution to your problem. But only a highly qualified ophthalmologist, who is available in every hospital in the country, can carry out full-fledged, comprehensive eye treatment. Therefore, study the information in detail and consult a doctor on time.

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The degree of myopia is not passed on to children

What measures are being taken in Belarus to reduce the number of children with myopia? What new methods and technologies are used to treat it?

Victoria Krasilnikova : Urbanization does not contribute to the improvement of visual functions in children, not only in our country, but throughout the world. We have lost the need to see far away; on the contrary, our quality of life today depends on how much we have the skills to work with modern gadgets; we need our eyes to act at close range. For this, slight myopia is “ideal”: from 1 to 3 diopters. Therefore, in some high-tech countries, for example in Japan, myopia of up to 3 diopters is considered normal.

The country has school sanitary standards aimed at preserving vision. But the child is not at school all day; he spends most of his time at home. Therefore, the main task of parents is to instill in their children a culture of an active lifestyle. We clearly see: if the work and rest schedule is observed, the development of myopia stops. Often, parents, in order to distract their children from gadgets, load them with other visual stress, for example, enrolling them in music classes. But this is also work at close range, which needs to be diluted with other activities. The child should be given the right to a “share of sloppiness” so that he does not overdo it in his studies, so that he has time for active work. New methods and devices for the prevention of myopia are appearing, but it needs to start in the family.

My daughter is 15 years old, and the vision in one eye has been declining for five years. Now one eye is 0.1, the other eye is 1. What can be done? I have myopia (-6 in both eyes), maybe it's heredity?

Victoria Krasilnikova: Myopia is not a death sentence. If a parent has myopia, the child has a greater than 50% chance of developing it. But the degree of myopia is not inherited. The difference between the right and left eyes can be explained by the restructuring of the eyes to work at close range. To prevent the second eye from catching up with the first, you need to properly organize the child’s work and rest schedule. Recommendations here.

My son is 16 years old. Mild myopia. How to prevent vision deterioration and is it possible to have surgery?

Victoria Krasilnikova : The choice of myopia correction is individual. You can have surgery at the age of 18, you can, as an alternative, use night orthokeratology lenses, you can wear glasses. Nowadays, the industry provides many devices and gadgets that allow you to enjoy glasses to the fullest. For example, there are additional covers for eyeglass frames that change the color of the glasses, allow you to work with a computer and drive a car in cloudy weather or at night. There are glasses with diopters for swimming and skiing.

Is atropine used in Belarus to treat myopia in children? What is your opinion about the Aist-01 LK device for reducing myopia? My son (9 years old) has progressive myopia, currently -3.75 in both eyes.

Victoria Krasilnikova : Treatment of children with atropine is not used in Belarus. It is used only to determine the true refraction and relieve spasm of accommodation at the time of diagnostic manipulation. "Stork" is a good device, but it is mainly used for the prevention and treatment of amblyopia. To prevent the reduction of myopia, it does not have such an effect.

Several times I have personally heard advice from foreign ophthalmologists that long-term instillation of atropine 0.01% helps stop the loss of vision. Your opinion? Is it possible to order the production of drops from us?

Victoria Krasilnikova : Atropine is a potent drug with a fairly large list of side effects. Several years ago, Western ophthalmologists were categorically against atropine, which was widely used in the Commonwealth. There are drugs with fewer side effects and no less effective. In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has switched to ready-made eye drops, so this solution cannot be ordered.

Five ways to improve your vision on your own

Of course, you can have surgery and, if you're lucky, restore your vision to one. However, there is one small “but”: any operation is a risk. In this case, loss of vision. It's small, but it's there. Somehow you don’t want to anymore, right?

At the same time, the desire to regain good vision remains. Did you know that there are ways to restore eye health on your own? There is no risk, it is free and the result will be positive. If unsuccessful, everything will remain as is or the rate of vision deterioration will stop. At best, you throw the glasses in the trash.

General rules

Nothing changes in one day. Be patient, persistent and methodical.
Even in such treatment, the dosage must be strictly observed. Do not overdo it!
Once improvements become noticeable, don’t quit! It is necessary to consolidate the result and prevent relapse.

Choose one of the sets of exercises, adjust your diet and enhance the effect with traditional or modern medicine.

Palming and other methods

There are several methods, you can try any:

Sit down. Straighten your back. Close your eyes. Cover them with your palms, but do not press. Sit like this for five minutes.
Quickly move your gaze as if across a watch dial, holding it for 5 counts at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock.

Gymnastics for the eyes

Another half-hour program that is recommended to be performed daily:

Pour ice and hot water into two containers and soak cotton pads. First, place hot pads on your closed eyes for 2 minutes, and then cold pads for another 1 minute.
Open the window, you need fresh air. Take a deep breath, bend your knees and arch your back so that your eye level is lower than your heart. Freeze for 5-10 seconds. Exhale and straighten up. Repeat the exercise at least five times. Be careful, you may get dizzy!
Stand up, spread your legs and start swaying slowly. Focus your gaze on your nose.
Stand up straight, look at the ceiling, at the floor, up to the right, down to the left. Hold your gaze in each position for a few seconds. Now “movements in a circle” clockwise and counterclockwise. Repeat each exercise at least 10 times.

Vitamin complexes

Vision decreases if the body lacks certain vitamins.

Vitamin A is responsible for overall eye health.
Group B is necessary for the structure of nerve tissue.
Vitamin C is needed for muscle tone.
Potassium strengthens tissues and gives strength.

Make sure you have enough foods in your diet that contain these vitamins or buy them at the pharmacy.

Help of modern technologies

Vision problems have always existed. But, thanks to technological development, it is now possible to resort to modern methods of home treatment and vision prevention. For example, use the Glaznik device.

Low-intensity red laser radiation relieves the manifestations of various disorders of the neuroendocrine regulation of intraocular pressure and helps to avoid many vision problems, as well as improve it.

You can get acquainted with the device in more detail, as well as get advice here:

Be healthy!

Pankov's glasses are not a panacea

What do you think of Pankov's glasses? Do they make any sense or are they placebos? They were recommended as maintenance therapy for partial atrophy of the optic nerve as a result of retrobulbar neuritis. Vision is not restored.

Igor Zaborovsky: This is one of the typical situations when a fairly simple effect, known to all ophthalmologists, is embodied in a “unique” treatment for almost all eye diseases. There is no need to talk about the dangers of these glasses, in the absence of contraindications: the functional effect on the iris of the eye can in some cases have a positive effect. Given your diagnosis, you should not expect results from using these glasses.

I am 31 years old. A year before wearing braces, according to the results of a medical examination, my vision was ideal. A year later, the examination showed: 0.5 in the left eye, the indicator in the right eye has not changed. Can wearing braces ruin your eyesight?

Igor Zaborovsky: There is no reliable information about the effect of braces on visual acuity. To find the true cause of your vision decline and establish a theoretically possible connection with wearing braces, you need to undergo a detailed ophthalmological examination.

For diabetes mellitus, visit an ophthalmologist regularly

Woman, 64 years old, type 2 diabetes, takes insulin. There are problems with vision. What examinations are needed to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment?

Igor Zaborovsky : Diabetic retinopathy (pathological changes in the retina due to diabetes) leads to decreased visual acuity. Therefore, every patient with diabetes should undergo regular ophthalmological examinations. In your case, it is necessary to undergo a retinal examination with a fundus lens to exclude or confirm diabetic retinopathy. Depending on the stage, laser coagulation of the retina can be used to treat this disease.

I have moderate myopia, currently I wear glasses with diopters -5.75 and -5.25. During the examination at the university, a special diagnosis was made. honey. physical education group. Before that, I was actively involved in sports (fitness, cardio training). How serious are my limitations in physical education? Can I continue to exercise, limiting myself to certain types of activities, or is sports completely contraindicated for me?

Igor Zaborovsky : To decide whether moderate myopia is a limitation for certain physical education activities, you should undergo an examination with a fundus lens, that is, examine the periphery of the retina. I will express my opinion: if there are no problems with the retina, I do not see the need to limit physical education, with the exception of strength loads, for example, weightlifting, long exercises in an inverted position. In general, moderate physical activity has a beneficial effect on overall health and vision. Consider wearing contact lenses to reduce the risk of eye injury.

Are there any ways to correct corneal clouding after keratitis ? In addition, there is myopia; an eye with a damaged cornea cannot be corrected with glasses.

Victoria Krasilnikova and Igor Zaborovsky : It depends on the degree of turbidity and its location. In some cases, the cornea itself gradually corrects such defects. If the opacification affects the deeper layers, lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty can be used. If the opacification is located in the superficial layers of the cornea, phototherapeutic keratectomy can be performed using an excimer laser.

I am 41 years old. When I was a teenager, my vision deteriorated; I have been wearing contact lenses for many years (-4 on both eyes). There has been no decrease in vision over the years. Six months ago I was diagnosed with glaucoma. Now I have been using Travapress drops since my diagnosis, and I check my eye pressure once every 2 months. It's okay for now. Where to go next? What is the chance that my children will have glaucoma?

Victoria Krasilnikova : For glaucoma, dynamic observation by an ophthalmologist at your place of residence is necessary; when compensating intraocular pressure, the prescriptions that are made are sufficient. Once a year, an in-depth examination of the organ of vision can be carried out in the glaucoma rooms of the country's leading clinics. There is no direct inheritance of glaucoma, but a predisposition to glaucoma associated with the anatomical features of the eye can be inherited.

My vision is deteriorating, what should I do to avoid losing it?

Many people have strange attitudes towards their health. They don't ask for help when it's needed. Such mistakes are especially often made by men who are willing to endure pain and discomfort just to avoid appearing in the doctor’s office. But for those who are especially proud and fearless, we recommend following our tips that will help preserve your vision for as long as possible:

Eat as much vitamin A as possible and choose healthy foods. Vitamin A is found in carrots, fish, and red meat. And also in persimmons, corn, spinach, pumpkin, legumes, and durum wheat bread.
Correct even minor eye problems. If conjunctivitis occurs, contact a pharmacy for help, they will help you choose the necessary eye drops. But, for an accurate diagnosis, still visit an ophthalmologist.
Protect your eyes from light. Ultraviolet radiation negatively affects our vision, since bright light destroys the retina of the eyes. Wear sunglasses when under the sun.
Lighting must be complete. Work in a properly lit area or have a work lamp in place that will allow you to write in the dark. At the same time, do not forget that reading a book under the sun is not recommended - bright rays hitting white paper form a strong reflection of the rays and damage your vision.
Exercise for the eyes. By doing simple exercises for 2-5 minutes a day, you will learn to relieve eye strain and develop your eye muscles. Regular squeezing, pinching, circular rotations and turning the pupils in different directions will strengthen the eye muscles.

Do not forget that general physical activity is very beneficial for the whole body. Therefore, engage in physical activity or sports constantly. This will not only prolong the excellent functioning of your eyes, but also improve all other processes in the body. And if problems arise, hurry up and consult an ophthalmologist.

Thank you for studying our information, be healthy and look directly, confidently at any goals and dreams.

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Tear substitutes are a must when working at a computer for long periods of time

I work 8 hours a day at the computer. I often hear that my eyes are red and there is a feeling of burst blood vessels. On weekends, the overall picture does not change, although I don’t turn on the computer, I’m not constantly on the phone or TV. I consulted an ophthalmologist: eye pressure is normal, vision is excellent, my eyes sometimes hurt, I don’t notice any dryness, but for some time artificial tears were dripping. I bought glasses for the computer, but to no avail. The eyes are just as red all the time (the tests are all normal, the liver too, but there is still a small yellow coating on the eyeballs). What could be the reason?

Victoria Krasilnikova : As we have already said, the mode of working at close range and with gadgets is very important. While working on a computer, we rarely blink, which leads to drying of the eyeball, which is initially unnoticeable and is compensated by the production of an additional amount of tears, which do not correspond to normal quality. Painful sensations in the eyes are called asthenopic complaints and may indicate that the eye is working in uncomfortable conditions and is gradually transforming into a myopic eye. The use of tear substitutes when working at a computer for long periods of time is mandatory, and it should be long-term and not episodic.

Are there effective treatments for eye chorioretinitis in Belarus?

Victoria Krasilnikova : Treatment of chorioretinitis in Belarus is carried out according to world canons, depending on the cause and ways of its development. Unfortunately, inflammatory phenomena in the retina lead to the development of dystrophic foci (scars) that do not return to their normal structure. In 35% of cases, according to international data, it is not possible to establish the cause of chorioretinitis - and then treatment is symptomatic.

The child is 8 months old, since birth the left eye has been a little festered and there are a little more tears in it. Diagnosis: dacryocystitis. They treated me with medications, gave me massages, and wiped me with furatsilin. At the time of treatment with collargol, there was no more pus; drops passed into the nose through the nasolacrimal duct. But a few weeks later, the older child brought conjunctivitis from the garden, and the younger one again began to have problems with his eyes, but with two of them at once. Treated with medicine. But almost every day, both the eldest and the youngest have crusts in the corners of their eyes in the morning. This was not the case before conjunctivitis. Is this normal or have we still not completely cured conjunctivitis? And is it necessary to probe the baby’s nasolacrimal duct in this situation?

Victoria Krasilnikova : Crusts in the morning are not an indicator of pathology, it is a natural process. Another thing is if, when pressing in the area of the lacrimal sac, discharge is visible, then we can talk about difficulty in the passage of the nasolacrimal duct. In addition, infections in small quantities may persist in the lacrimal sac after conjunctivitis. In my opinion, rinsing the tear ducts won't hurt. This will determine how well the tear ducts are cleared and clear out the infection. Rinsing is a more gentle manipulation than probing. It is impossible to say about the treatment of conjunctivitis without seeing the child.

My daughter has cerebral palsy, complicated high degree myopia (-18; -15), peripheral retinal dystrophy, partial atrophy of the optic nerves. Strabismus was corrected and scleroplasty was performed on both eyes. What else can be done to preserve and improve a child’s vision?

Victoria Krasilnikova : In this situation, the main attention should be paid to preventing the progression of the disease. Once a year, conduct an examination of the fundus with a fundus lens, so as not to miss the formation of new dystrophic foci, and carry out laser coagulation of the retina in a timely manner.

Causes of decreased vision in adults and children?

Unfortunately, every year the statistics of visual impairment in children in Russia increases. As of 2021, a decrease in visual acuity and clarity is observed in 17% of students from all over the country. The child should visit an ophthalmologist for the first time at the age of 1 month. The doctor will examine the baby and check the reaction of the eyeballs to the flashlight. For routine medical check-ups, parents will bring their children at 6 months and 1 year of age. It is during this period that 4-5% of children develop congenital eye pathologies. There are a large number of different reasons for deterioration in clarity and sharpness. They usually refer to physiological eye fatigue, an overly intense educational program in schools and kindergartens, where children perform many painstaking actions. But under the main thing, they emphasize – games and watching cartoons on the computer/TV/phone.

Also, vision can deteriorate from:

Poor lighting in the room where the baby spends most of his time.
Due to hereditary factors.
Lack of vitamin A and minerals in the diet.
Disturbed sleep and activity patterns.
A large number of circles, which means no rest.

But the human body is a complex work of all organs. Therefore, vision can deteriorate even due to diseases: ARVI, influenza, diabetes, immunodeficiency. In order to avoid such consequences, you should pay attention to the prevention of healthy vision, which we will discuss below.

Poor vision in adults:

The list of reasons may not end here. Because adults expose their vision to such blindness, it's a wonder we can still see. Eye problems are a common complaint to ophthalmologists, especially among urban residents. Many even stopped being surprised and attributing deterioration of vision to health pathologies. But it shouldn't be like that! Any symptom that bothers a person must undergo examination and analysis for future elimination. Therefore, if you have been prescribed glasses or told to change the frames, run away from such “specialists” and look for a full-fledged treatment package.

We have identified 6 of the most influential and common reasons why you may see worse:

Age . In older people, many destructive processes occur in the body. Also, the retina of the eyes, which contains pigment, is destroyed, as a result of which we begin to see worse.
The eye muscles do not work . The lens, which is located in the eye, can lose its active properties. When we focus on working on gadgets for a long time, watch movies for a long time, read books, the eye muscles become weak, immobile and sluggish. They lose their shape and atrophy. Read below on how to do eye exercises.
Poor circulation . Blood nourishes all human organs, muscles and structures. Including the retina of the eyes. If you lead a passive lifestyle, don’t go outside, or like to lie on the couch, expect that your retina will suffer and your vision will become worse.
Constant eye strain . Many doctors do not recommend sitting on phones at night, reading a book with the lights off and with a flashlight. Because local light has a very negative effect on vision. Bright light will overstrain your pupils, your eyes will begin to hurt and get tired more often.
Spinal displacements . All responsibility for the functionality of the body falls on the spinal cord and brain. It happens that as a result of injuries, intervertebral discs and vertebrae are disrupted and displaced, and along with this, the spinal nerves are compressed. And they contain contacts that are responsible for vision. By constantly pinching the nerve, vision will begin to decline. Also, constant spinal tension in a sitting position will cause your eyes to get tired faster.
Diseases . Eye diseases are a consequence of hereditary factors, acquired sores, which were allowed due to inaction during the treatment of various symptoms.
Unfortunately, this is not a complete list of why vision impairment may develop. Every year there are more and more reasons for the deterioration. One good thing is that modern clinical technologies also do not stand still. And now, specialists can restore vision to a person who lost it a long time ago or even to someone who never had it. Such operations are carried out in European countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland. In Russia, doctors do not lose their touch and, learning new techniques, practice difficult cases in curing people who have lost their sight.