Common eye diseases

The human eye has its peculiarity in dealing with the rest of the body, as it is the most delicate and sensitive, whether from the anatomical or functional side, and it is not possible to touch a reality and be

familiar with it without looking at it and making sure of it. 

The eye can reveal information and events in the same way as the mind can.

It reflects a lot about people, such as their psychological or disease states, to serve as an indication of the presence of a problem that calls for a visit to the doctor, whether in the eyes or otherwise.

If a person feels irritated eyes or blurred vision while at work, this may be a result of spending long periods in front of a computer screen, while the presence of red spots may be an indication of high

blood pressure, while the presence of redness in one or both eyes may indicate the presence of

Inflammation in the eye.

 Multiple diseases and their causes

There is a long list of eye diseases, and at the global level, these diseases are more threatening to poor countries, the most dangerous of which are trachoma and eye infection with cataracts or glaucoma.

According to the World Health Organization, the total number of blind people in various parts of the world exceeds 43 million, the majority of whom are concentrated in developing countries.

The main causes of this problem are ignorance, illiteracy, lack of health follow-up for pregnant mothers, and the low capabilities of health institutions in these countries, even at the level of diagnosing some simple symptoms that lead to inevitable blindness when neglected. as such

Environmental factors, lifestyles, behavior and daily practices of individuals, and some social habits play a dangerous role in the spread of eye diseases.

The most widespread and the role of the family

It is noticed that ophthalmic ophthalmia, with its various types, such as echocardial ophthalmia caused by bacteria, or granulomatous ophthalmia caused by a dangerous virus, or spring conjunctivitis, which results from infection of the conjunctiva of the eye with sensitivity, occurs due to some effects associated with air temperature and dust with succession

seasons.

These diseases are further complicated by the ease with which they are transmitted between crowded populations, and even in rural areas, between school students and at the household level. 

For example, trachoma spreads through direct contact or use

Clothes or towels of an infected person, and complications may reach total blindness, although the majority of people with it rule out this painful fate.

There is a long list of vision defects that people suffer at various stages of their lives, but the most common is short sight, meaning the child's inability to see ideal up close, in contrast to farsightedness, a problem that increases the likelihood of occurring with the progress

Human age, infections, especially viral and allergies that have to do with diseases of the body such as retinopathy, diabetes, and cataracts, which increase when the patient has diabetes.

As for vision impairment, it has multiple causes, some of which are related to known diseases, while others are due to hereditary causes that are difficult to predict when they will occur. 

However, regular visits to the doctor and the adoption of periodic examination of the state of vision can reduce the risk that may affect

This sensitive part.

The family has a great role in protecting children from the risks of eye injuries, especially since

children up to an advanced age cannot realize the dangers of playing with sharp and cutting objects,

and they may inflict damage on their eyes, especially the cornea, that may not be dealt with surgically. Are recorded

Emergency clinics are a lot of dangerous cases.

Our children have the health of their eyes

It is known that the cornea is the transparent front window of the eye through which light passes into

the eye to see clearly, and injury to the cornea may lead to accidents, infectious diseases, or hereditary

diseases, which may lead to its darkening, deformation, or the appearance of scars on it.

Emergency clinics receive it, infecting children's eyes with sharp objects, such as knives, pencils, household chemicals and hot oil spray from the kitchen.

The health of the cornea deteriorates when infected, whether bacterial, fungal or viral.

And when you have a viral disease, such as measles or parotid fever and cold, the doctor will follow up any side effects that may reach the optic nerve responsible for transmitting the images that the eyes see

to the brain in the form of electrical impulses, and when an injury occurs from this

Type, the nerve tissue swells, and the nerve fibers have a defect in the nature of their work, and the nerve must be examined if the patient complains of sudden blurring of vision in one of the eyes.

There is a type of glaucoma (glaucoma), which affects children as a type of birth defect. 

Because of this problem, the level of pressure in the eye rises, and this leads to damage to the optic nerve, which may threaten to lose the ability to see gradually. 

Among the symptoms that

It can be noticed on the child that heavy tears flow from the eyes, and an increase in the diameter of their blackness.

And when it is confirmed that the child has congenital glaucoma, treatment should be expedited to protect the optic nerve and protect the eyes from developing laziness.

Premature eyes

The high therapeutic health level of premature or underweight infants has led to the need for stimulating amounts of oxygen, which may lead to abnormal growth of retinal blood vessels.

Dr. Montaser Salah El-Din, a specialist in ophthalmology and a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmic Surgeons in London, says that this abnormal growth may form into a hemorrhage in the retina or vitreous body, and in later cases it may lead to a retinal schizophrenia, and this may

It leads to blindness in one or both eyes.

He added, "This is why it is necessary to follow the infant according to a specific schedule during which the pupil of the eyes is dilated and the retina vision is to identify the effect at an early date, and when any influential beginning of the emergence of new blood vessels is identified, the retina is treated with a laser."

Advanced and rare cases, surgical intervention may be required to correct retinal schizophrenia. 

We can say that careful follow-up and early treatment is the key to success, and that the vast majority of cases do not need any kind of treatment. "

Strabismus in children

And around the eyes is a congenital defect as well, and with regard to children suffering from squint, Dr. Imad , specialist in ophthalmology, says: “It is often noticed by parents, and it is a deviation of the axis of the eye from the inside or outside, and it is

"There are many reasons, ranging from low visual ability in the eye for visual reasons, or denying the eye access to adequate light or excessive farsightedness as a result of the presence of organic diseases inside the eye such as cataract."

He added, "It has become quite clear that the squint that occurs after the child reaches the age of seven is difficult and difficult to treat, so prescribing medical glasses for the child, who carries the risk of squint, can help a lot to avoid such a situation."

Dr. said.: “What is said regarding strabismus' risks often refers to farsightedness and corneal curvature (astigmatism). Parents may also observe how their children look at objects from a distance or up close, as well as their failure to open their eyes when exposed to bright sunlight.

It is known that if the eye cannot send correct visual instructions to the brain, then we are in the face of what is known as congenital squint. It is true that all newborns may experience a decrease in the ability to see, but some of them will be weak.

Visual is apparent and chronic, and if the infant persists in the state of strabismus for more than three months after birth, this means the need to resort to urgent medical treatment to save him from around the world permanently, and ophthalmologists assert that the strabismus has genetic roots that can be passed on from grandparents

Or parents to children.

Cataract

Regarding the definition of cataract, its causes and methods of treatment, Russian Professor Yuri

Takatev, a specialist in ophthalmic surgery and cataract, said that it is a density that gradually forms in

the transparent lens of the eye and causes a gradual decrease in visual acuity that often affects the eye.

But not necessarily at the same time, and it is associated with aging and increases in hot countries and in cases of diabetes, and if there are 100 people with diabetes there are 10 among them have cataract.

He added that the common causes of cataract infection are advancing age, and the incidence of

diabetes increases in chronic eye diseases, and when suffering from eye trauma and excessive use of corticosteroids, and children may develop them from birth as a result.

For hereditary reasons.

Professor Yuri pointed out the symptoms of cataract, which are a gradual loss of vision, but in later

cases, there are other symptoms, and the treatment is usually performed under local anesthesia through a small opening in the cornea, using ultrasound

Acoustic and laser, which represent the latest treatment methods, in order to withdraw cataracts, then a

suitable permanent non-perishable lens is implanted in place of the original lens, and this process takes a few minutes, and the patient recovers his eyesight once the cataracts are removed in most

Cases, but in some cases it gradually restores it.

The blue water

As for the hereditary diseases that result from inbreeding and are represented in retinal diseases,

including glaucoma, which is called "high eye pressure" and "glaucoma", Dr. Montaser Salah El-Din said that high eye pressure affects about 2% of people worldwide,

And the common type of it is the one that has no symptoms and is discovered by chance or in the late

stages of it, and for this reason it is advised for those over the age of 40 to see an ophthalmologist for periodic examination, especially those who have first-degree relatives such as parents or siblings with high

eye pressure.

He pointed out that there is no cut-off limit for considering the pressure to be high, but if the

intraocular pressure is more than 21 millimeters of mercury it is considered high, and here the fundus

must be examined to study the optic nerve, and the field of vision must be examined to find out the effect of high pressure, and it is also advised.

By examining the eyes completely.

And in the case of confirmation of infection, the doctor must be reviewed periodically throughout the life, and the patient may need pressure-reducing drops, and one or more types may suffice, as in some cases the patient may undergo laser treatment or surgery.

Diabetes and eyes

Dr. Montaser explained that diabetes is a marked increase in the number of diabetic retinopathy

patients, and attributed the reason to the fact that most of those with it do not see ophthalmologists

sufficiently until advanced stages of retinal dysfunction, which makes the issue of treatment very difficult.

He pointed out the need to carry out continuous periodic examinations to discover any injury to the eye

in its early stages and to help the patient restore normal vision, as diabetics in general see the doctor years after the onset of retinopathy, and these are advanced stages

Very then, it is only possible to work on repairing parts of the retina and reducing the spread of defects to the parts that are working.

Pterygium disease

Dr. Montasser to pterygium disease, which is an appendix of the conjunctiva in the inner part of the eye, and it is common in hot countries due to exposure to ultraviolet rays, and it may lead to a change in the refraction of the eye and chronic redness.

Surgical intervention and removal of the excess portion.

Night dinner

As for night stinging and not seeing clearly in the evening, Dr. Montaser attributed the reason for its occurrence to retinitis pigmentosa, which is a multi-path genetic disease, whether in the methods of inheritance or in the type and degree of infection, as well as in the development of the disease, due to a lack of

Light receptors, as the field of vision recedes slightly and in some advanced cases there is atrophy in the optic nerve and opacity in the lens of the eye, and there may be some genetic conditions that affect other organs in the body.

In most cases the diagnosis is made with a clinical examination, but in some cases it may be necessary to do a test of the electrical potential difference of the retina to support the diagnosis, adding that it is also necessary to study the medical history of the family to know how to inherit, in order to provide advice in

In this field, as some cases only affect males because they are linked to the female chromosome, and other times, heredity is dominant or recessive, and patient follow-up is necessary to keep pace with the development of the condition.

High blood pressure and its relationship to the eyes

High blood pressure is a common disease in our region. To know its relationship with eye diseases, Dr. Imad explained that the most common cause of high blood pressure is atherosclerosis, and the arteries that supply the retina are no exception, in the early stages that continue

For many years the ophthalmologist is aware of the initial effects of high blood pressure, but it is very rare that it causes problems related to the retinal arteries, but in advanced cases the arterial wall weakens and this causes aqueous solidification that collects in the center of vision, and it may affect

In clarity of vision, and in very advanced cases, it may cause retinal hemorrhage and a pool of water in the optic nerve, and this can be treated by controlling blood pressure and laser treatment of the retina.

Eye allergy and seasonal diseases

Internal infections of the eye that occur due to microbes or immune infections in the blood layer of the eye, cannot be avoided, but we can intervene by treating them at an early time, as allergies and viral

infections that affect the eye with the change of the atmosphere and the difference in temperature

It spreads quickly, especially with the presence of air and dust, because the body is sensitive when pollen or ordinary dust enters, leaving internal or external allergies and causing immune diseases.

Dr. Reem Al-Uqla, an ophthalmologist, says in this regard: "The tissues of the eye are sensitive to a certain factor present in pollen or house dust, and the sensitivity appears in the form of itching with redness of the eye in the form of attacks, and it is important to prevent exposure to the agent.

Sensitize and avoid the sun and wear sunglasses. 

When injured, you can wash the eyes with cold water to soften them and treat them with compresses and cortisone drops.

Spring conjunctivitis

Spring conjunctivitis is one of the types of allergic diseases that affect the conjunctiva of the eye, and this conjunctiva is famous for its occurrence in the spring with the spread of pollen grains that cause this type of allergy, although the sun's rays escalate this problem, and it is not contagious, and it affects both eyes.

Severe itching with the exit of watery secretions, and these secretions may become sticky or mucous in some cases, and the patient hates sunlight and light, as a result of the inability to open the eyes in direct light, and causes the lower eyelids and the feeling of a foreign body in

The eye, with increased secretion of tears, and redness in the eyes, and causes impaired vision in advanced cases as a result of infections or ulcers in the cornea of ​​the eye. 

The diagnosis is made by taking a swab from the conjunctiva for examination in the laboratory so that it can distinguish the condition from some diseases

Other similar symptoms such as trachoma and other conjunctivitis, and treatment is by applying cold compresses and avoiding everything that causes allergies such as dust, dust and weeds, and this disease is spread among residents of hot regions who have a genetic predisposition.

For sensitivity.

Spring conjunctivitis does not have any complications on the strength of eyesight, nor any danger to the eye, unlike shock conjunctivitis, which increases in spring and summer, and it is a dangerous disease that affects the eye if not treated well, and occurs due to the spread of dust and flies that transmit

The microbe that causes this disease is a strong microbe, and infection with this disease extends to the occurrence of swelling of the eyelids and severe redness of the conjunctiva and the treatment is by washing the eyes with running water with the use of topical or oral antibiotics.

The percentage of patients suffering from bacterial corneal ulcers increases in the summer, due to several factors, including that most of them are elderly and have chronic infections and problems in the eyelids with dryness and a lack of tears, and the weather sometimes leads to the formation of dry spots on the surface

The cornea and then scratches become inflamed and ulcerated, and therefore such patients are advised to use moisturizing drops and ointments intensively with consulting a doctor before traveling in the summer, or when feeling any inflammation or redness in the eyes.

Dry Eye

Our use of some daily appliances may cause damage to the eye, for example, the use of air conditioners, the excessive use of computers and screens, and the high air temperature in dry and desert areas spread dry eyes.

As for the causes that lead to it, Dr. Al-Uqla explains: “The reason is due to a deficiency in the secretion of the lacrimal gland in general, and treatment begins according to the patient's condition and the severity of dehydration. 

The patient is advised to use some drops that help moisturize the eye, especially

Drops without preservatives, and if needed, the patient may be given ointments that they use at bedtime that help moisturize the eyes for a longer period. 

In the event that the patient complains of eyelid inflammation, he needs to treat the eyelids with some special ointments and eyelid cleaning

In a certain way with lubricating eye drops, but if the dryness is severe and "the cause of the lack of the tear layer", the patient may need a simple surgical intervention to prevent the remainder of the tears

from leaking through the tear duct into the nose, all with the importance of providing the patient

With preventive advice such as avoiding dry and direct air on the eyes when driving a car, for example, and using sunglasses, they may need to put moisturizing eye drops as well.

Means of communication and our eyes

In this era, the means of rapid communication have spread, which led to sitting for long periods on these devices, causing eye fatigue and dryness and inflammation of the edges of the eyelids in the eye,

and its symptoms are a burning eye with itching, redness of the eye and a feeling of discomfort throughout

Daytime.

Dr. Reem advises users of electronic devices to take care of their eyes by drinking more liquids, up to two liters per day, to reduce dehydration, and not to sit in a room full of dust and smoke, and not to get too close to the monitor (where you should be

The screen is at least 60 cm away from the eye), 

sitting in a position that does not strain the eyes (where your head is above the level of the screen), 

resting for 10 minutes every hour and looking at the window or furniture or anything else comfortable away from the colors of sharp devices or

Bustling. 

She also explained that winking (closing the eyelids and opening them) several times an hour helps the muscles of the eyelids to relax, and it must be ensured that the lighting in the room is

sufficient, that is, it is neither strong and dazzling nor weak that causes eye fatigue, and not staring for a long time without

Blink (it should be once every five seconds), and make sure the screen is always clean.

contact lenses

In some cases, contact lenses lead to a change in the curvature of the cornea, interference with oxygen access, redness of the eye, increased sensitivity, and an increase in the rate of bacterial infection in the

cornea, so you must make sure that they are clean before wearing them and wash your hands before using them and not wearing them.

While sleeping, and not using it for more than one person, because it is one of the personal tools that can cause infectious eye diseases. 

In general, eye patients are advised to use sunglasses to prevent UV rays, and to use moisturizing drops,

Especially in cases of dehydration, and periodic examination, especially for diabetics, measuring intraocular pressure, and washing hands before touching the eyes.

This article was published in Balsam magazine