Retinal diseases that threaten eye health
Blindness risk if central retinal artery blockage
Retinal tear caused by frequent rubbing of the eye
Be aware of diabetes complications, blood sugar management
What is a tissue that is composed of more than 1 million optic nerve cells and is difficult to regenerate once damaged? It is the ‘retina’. The retina plays a crucial role in seeing things. If a problem occurs, your eyesight deteriorates and you may become blind. Just because you’re still young and you don’t have any symptoms, you shouldn’t be vigilant. In order to protect eye health from the ‘sight thief’ that may come at any time, it is necessary to know the characteristics and precursor symptoms of retinal diseases in advance.
perforated retinal tear
A retinal tear is, simply put, a tear in the retina. It can be caused by aging, myopia, trauma, family history, and ophthalmic surgery history. Habitual rubbing of the eyes can also affect the occurrence of retinal tears.
When a retinal tear occurs, there may be blepharoptosis, in which dust or flies fly in front of the eyes, and photophobia, in which light feels like flashing, but there are not a few cases that are discovered asymptomatic.
Patients with retinal tears receive laser treatment to coagulate and firmly attach the surrounding normal tissue to prevent further widening of the torn area. This is also a measure to prevent retinal tear from progressing to retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is a serious eye disease in which part or all of the retina separates from the eye wall, and if treatment is delayed, vision may be lost.
Laser treatment for retinal tears is performed while sitting with a simple anesthetic applied to the eye. The pain is a tingling sensation that the patient can tolerate. After laser treatment, glare, photopsia, and blepharitis may temporarily increase, but most of them recover within a week. Yu Young-joo, a specialist at Retinal Hospital of Kim Eye Hospital, said, “If you have an eye that tends to have a retinal tear, there is a high possibility of a new retinal tear in the same eye or in the other eye.” If symptoms appear, you should go to the hospital,” he said.
Central retinitis in which water collects in the retina
What if one day, suddenly, a bar that was straight was bent? At this time, the suspected retinal disease is central serous chorioretinopathy called central retinitis. If you have central retinitis, a round shadow may appear in front of your eyes, blocking your vision or making objects look small. The main symptoms of central retinitis include blurring of the central focus and double overlapping of objects when looking at near objects.
Central retinitis occurs when water collects under the macula, the central part of the retina. The cause of the outbreak is not clear, but it is known to be related to stress, overwork, excessive drinking, and lack of sleep.
What should I do if I have central retinitis? Rather than treating it right away, I prefer to monitor the progress. This is because it usually improves naturally after 1 to 6 months. Specialist Yu advised, “However, if you have multiple relapses or severe visual impairment, it is better to visit a hospital immediately rather than waiting for natural healing.”
In this case, laser treatment may be considered. It is a method of coagulating the leaking spot that appeared on the fluorescein fundus examination with a laser. Injections or oral medications may also be administered.
There is another point to remember. In old age, central retinitis can lead to macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a disease in which degeneration occurs in the macula, and unlike central retinitis, the prognosis is poor and progressive. Vision deteriorates and can eventually lead to blindness. Therefore, if patients with central retinitis show the same symptoms after their 60s, it is preferable to visit a hospital quickly rather than relying on natural recovery.
occlusion of blood vessels in the retina
Retinal vascular occlusion is a disease nicknamed ‘eye stroke’. This is because it is a disease in which blood vessels in the retina are blocked or ruptured, similar to stroke (stroke), which causes problems when blood vessels in the brain are blocked or burst, causing visual impairment. Since blood vessel function declines with age, retinal vascular occlusion tends to be found in the elderly. The same goes for people with poor blood vessel health.
In fact, the number of patients with retinal vascular occlusion in Korea is on the rise due to the aging population. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients who received outpatient treatment for retinal vascular occlusion increased by 24% in four years from 60,311 in 2017 to about 75,000 in 2021.
Retinal vascular occlusion is divided into types depending on the location and which vessel is abnormal. It is usually classified into central retinal artery occlusion, central retinal vein occlusion, branch retinal artery occlusion, and branch retinal vein occlusion according to the location of blood vessel blockage. Among them, central retinal artery occlusion, in which the central artery in the retina is blocked, is considered the most dangerous type. It can lead to blindness if not treated within two hours of its occurrence.
Patients with retinal vascular occlusion may suffer from blepharoptosis, decreased visual acuity, and visual field disorders, but sometimes there are no subjective symptoms. Therefore, it is more important than anything else to detect the disease at an early stage through regular checkups once or twice a year. This is especially true for patients with systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Vascular management is also required. In order to maintain strong blood vessels, you should take a balanced diet, refrain from drinking and smoking, and exercise regularly. If you are standing or sitting for a long time, blood clots are easy to form, so it is good to move around from time to time.
Diabetic retinopathy, one of the three major blindness diseases in Korea
Diabetes is a disease whose complications are more terrifying than the disease itself. Among them, one of the complications that comes to the eyes is diabetic retinopathy. It is a disease in which blood vessels in the retina are damaged due to continuous poor blood sugar management, and is known as one of the three major blindness diseases in Korea along with macular degeneration and glaucoma. The longer you have had diabetes and poor blood sugar control, the greater your risk of diabetic retinopathy.
Early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can reduce severe vision loss by 50-60%. For this reason, the Korean Diabetes Association recommends that patients with type 1 diabetes receive a fundus examination including the retinal periphery and a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination within 5 years after diagnosis, and patients with type 2 diabetes at the same time as the diagnosis. If you receive a normal finding at least once in an annual test and your blood sugar is properly controlled, you may have a checkup every 1 to 2 years.
If diabetic retinopathy causes bleeding in the retina, its location is important. Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital Ophthalmology Professor Moon Sang-woong said, “If the bleeding has not reached the center of the retina, you can treat it with laser or medication to preserve the center and preserve your vision.” We will try to save it.” He added, “Recently, with the development of medical technology, medical equipment, and drugs, various plans have been prepared to maintain vision, increasing the success rate of surgery.”
– Get regular eye exams even if you don’t have any special symptoms
– Wear sunglasses when going out on a sunny day
– Intake of vegetables and blue fish to prevent retinal aging
– People with chronic diseases such as diabetes pay attention to disease control
Source: Gangdong Kyunghee University Hospital
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2023-09-02 06:19:11
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