What is accommodation spasm? What is accommodation spasm: symptoms and treatment Spasm of the eye muscle symptoms, causes, treatment.

Rumyantseva Anna Grigorievna

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The human eye can adapt and see objects at different distances equally clearly.

This is due to the work of the ciliary muscle of the eye, which regulates the focus of the eye. If violations occur in the work of such a muscle, a spasm of accommodation occurs.

The article discusses what a spasm of accommodation of the eye and both eyes is, as well as how to remove this visual impairment.

Spasm of accommodation in adults is considered a pathological condition in which a person cannot clearly see objects at different distances.

Due to overloads of a different nature, the ciliary muscle, which regulates the curvature of the lens and, accordingly, the focus of vision, ceases to perform its functions.

In a normal state, the eye needs to relax the lens in order to see distant objects, while for the perception of close objects, the lens, on the contrary, tenses up.

With a spasm of accommodation, the lens does not relax, and distant objects are poorly seen.

Causes of the disease

The main cause of spasm of accommodation is, which occurs for a number of reasons:

Also spasm can occur with problems with blood circulation in the cervical spine.

Remember! In this case, the eyes do not receive the necessary nutrition and similar disorders begin to appear in their work. With a lack of vitamins in the body and malnutrition, this also happens.

Main symptoms

With a spasm of accommodation in adults, the following symptoms are observed:

• gradual decrease in visual acuity when looking at distant objects;
• eye fatigue and the appearance of periodic pain in the organs of vision;
• burning sensation and pain in the eyes;
• redness of the mucous membrane;
• dizziness;

With the development of the disease, the eyes begin to tire more and more quickly even in the absence of difficult-to-see work, and visual acuity decreases, and efforts have to be made to focus the gaze.

Treatment of spasm of accommodation

Treatment of spasm of accommodation should be comprehensive.

In this case, in addition to conservative treatment with medications, it is required to use hardware methods and engage in special gymnastics.

Such exercises not only help relieve spasm, but also serve as a preventive measure to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of the disease in the future.

Medical treatment

As medicines, ophthalmic drops are used to relax the ciliary muscle. These are drugs cyclomide, midriacil, atropine, tropicamide.

In this case the ophthalmologist may prescribe irifrin- drops with active alpha-adrenergic action for topical use. Such a cure promotes pupil dilation and stimulates the circulation of intraocular fluid which helps to strengthen the ciliary muscle.

Along with these drops it is recommended to take special vitamin complexes, intended for the eyes, and use moisturizing eye drops that help relieve side symptoms of spasm (dryness and irritation).

Also Can you do a neck massage?, which will promote blood flow to the head, and such stimulation of the circulatory system helps prevent spasm or contribute to its speedy removal.

Hardware treatment

Sometimes drugs are not enough to relieve the spasm, and then hardware methods of treatment are used.

One of them - electrical stimulation of the eyeball, in which an electric current is applied to the eye, provoking relaxation of the ciliary muscle.

Spasm can also be treated with laser therapy at the cellular and molecular level.

With such an impact, biochemical and biophysical processes in the human body are stimulated, which leads to the normalization of the work of the ciliary muscle in an indirect way. In this case, not only the spasm is relieved, but also the visual functions of the organs of vision improve in general.

Gymnastics for the eyes

The complex includes the following exercises:

The final exercise is massaging with your fingertips in a circular motion of closed eyelids.. This procedure must be done within a minute, after which the complex can be considered complete.

Need to know! You should not neglect such gymnastic exercises: they will take no more than 10-15 minutes a day, but at the same time this method is considered almost the only preventive measure to prevent accommodation spasm.

Useful video

From this video you will learn more about accommodation disorders and their treatment:

Experts do not always talk about the dangerous consequences of this disease, since they usually do not happen, but in case of recurrence of the disease, it can result in a permanent impairment of visual acuity, which cannot be restored.

Also spasm can also lead to nearsightedness due to disturbances in the functioning of the lens, and such a refractive error can be treated much worse, and it is not always possible to manage with ordinary gymnastics and medicines for myopia.

In contact with

Almost everyone has vision problems. The process of receiving visual information is multilevel and extremely complex. The correct functioning of the visual analyzer is the result of the coordinated work of many components.

Any of these components can fail, then a condition such as accommodation spasm in adults may occur. The causes of the development of the disease, symptoms, diagnostic methods, features of treatment and prevention have their own characteristics.

The ability of the eye to focus

Accommodation is the ability to clearly see objects at different distances. When a fuzzy image is formed on the retina, accommodation is automatically turned on, similar to focusing on a camera. The whole process is a complex and interconnected system from the cerebral cortex down to the eye muscles and lens. By the way, the lens in this play has the main role.

Due to the well-coordinated work of the muscles of the eye and the ligamentous apparatus, the curvature of the lens changes, and, consequently, accommodation. When the ciliary muscle relaxes, the ligament of zinn tenses, which, in turn, tenses the lens capsule. It takes on an elongated shape, which allows you to better see into the distance. Conversely, when we look at a nearby object, the ciliary muscle spasms, causing the ligament of Zinn to relax, which entails a change in the shape of the lens to a more convex one. This makes it easier to see objects up close.

What is false myopia in adults?

Spasm of accommodation, or false myopia, is a condition in which the ciliary muscle is in constant tone under the influence of various factors. The eye loses the ability to see clearly, both near and at a distance.

What causes pathology

The most common cause of false myopia is overexertion of the ciliary muscle. This condition can occur when reading for a long time, watching TV or working at a computer.

Conditions that predispose to the development of spasm:

• violation of the daily routine;
• improperly selected furniture in accordance with growth;
• irrational nutrition;
• low physical activity;
• lack of fresh air;
• no breaks while working at the computer;
• violation of lighting in the workplace;
• weak neck and back muscles;
• constant sleep deprivation.

In addition to overstrain of the ciliary muscle, spasm of accommodation can occur as a result of hysteria, brain injury, homeostasis disorders, neurosis, menopause.

You can suspect false myopia in yourself or your loved ones by noticing the appearance of the following symptoms:

Spasm of accommodation, or tired eye syndrome, with early detection and properly selected treatment, is quite treatable.

Restless Eye Syndrome Treatment

The prognosis of the disease depends on early detection and initiation of treatment. The goal of treatment is to improve the visual functions of the eyes. Treatment should be comprehensive and selected exclusively for this patient, taking into account his individual characteristics. Only an ophthalmologist can select and prescribe therapy!

There are drug and non-drug therapies. Non-drug treatment consists of therapeutic exercises and hardware methods, such as physiotherapy, laser stimulation. For drug therapy, ophthalmic drops are most often used. Let's take a closer look at all types of treatment.

Gymnastics

One of the most effective, and most importantly, accessible to everyone, functional methods of treatment is therapeutic exercises. A set of exercises is aimed at relaxing the ciliary muscle and helps to relieve eye fatigue syndrome. You need to perform the exercises several times a day, especially when working at a monitor for a long time or when reading for a long time.

IMPORTANT! Gymnastics does not take much time, but it is very useful for your eyes.

First you need to take a break from work, lean back in a chair or chair and relax.

1. We start with eye movements from side to side: up and down, left and right, diagonally.
2. Next, we describe circles with pupils clockwise, and then counterclockwise.
3. Flash your eyelids fast.
4. Closing your eyes, massage the eyelids with the pads of your index fingers.
5. Taking the index finger away from the face by about thirty centimeters, we focus on the far point, then look at the finger.
6. Repeat exercise 5, closing your eyes one by one.
7. Make some kind of mark on the window glass (with a felt-tip pen, sticker). Sitting or standing at a distance of a meter from the window, focus first on the object outside the window, then on the mark.

All exercises must be repeated 10 times.

Hardware Methods

There are several ways of hardware correction of spasm: laser stimulation, physiotherapy, the use of special computer programs. More often, hardware treatment is used in children, but in some cases (young age, early stage of the disease) it can also help adults.

Laser stimulation, or laser therapy, consists in the fact that a laser beam acts on the eye. As a result, the progression of the disease slows down, vision improves.

To relieve eye strain during prolonged work at the computer, special programs have been developed, for example, the Relax program. The program presents various moving images, they make the muscles of the eye, especially the ciliary, work. As a result, muscle tension is relieved, and, consequently, the manifestations of tired eye syndrome are reduced to nothing.

Among physiotherapy, electrophoresis with the use of drugs is important for false myopia. It improves drug delivery to the site of action.

Medical therapy

In ophthalmology, there are eye drops that help relax the ciliary muscle, they are called mydriatics. By relaxing the muscle, they lead to a change in the curvature of the lens and dilation of the pupil (mydriasis). When exposed to them, the muscle relaxes, the lens curvature changes and the pupil dilates (mydriasis). The most commonly used: tropicamide, irifin, cyclomed. A drug such as "Atropine" leads to prolonged mydriasis and loss of clarity of vision, which negatively affects daily life and work. Therefore, they are currently trying to abandon its use.

IMPORTANT! There are a number of serious diseases in which the use of these funds can lead to complete loss of vision. Self-treatment with mydriatics is absolutely contraindicated!

The drug "Tropicamide" is used to treat false myopia only in adults and children over 12 years of age. It dilates the pupil for five hours. Can be used on both eyes at the same time.

"Cyclomed" in addition to the expansion of the pupil leads to the relief of symptoms such as burning and redness of the eyes. The duration of its action is about 10 hours. Therefore, it is preferable to use the drug in the evening before bedtime.

Drops "Irifin", unlike the above drugs, belong to a different pharmacological group. But the result of its action is the same - relaxation of the ciliary muscle. Duration of action - 2 hours. A combination of different drugs is possible. The course of treatment is determined only by the doctor.

Possible Complications

Long-term false myopia, if left untreated, leads to a permanent decrease in vision. Formed resistant with a tendency to. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in performance and a deterioration in learning. In this case, the correction will include not only, but also the wearing of corrective glasses or.

How to prevent the development of spasm?

1. Start prevention with the right regimen of the day. Plan your day so that it has a place for both work and leisure.
2. Rational nutrition is the basis for the prevention of not only accommodation spasm, but also many other diseases. Remember that meals should be three times a day, contain the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as trace elements and vitamins. Do not forget about the correct culinary processing of food. Eliminate bad habits such as alcohol abuse and smoking.
3. Physical activity is the key to a healthy life. Start your morning with a little exercise. So you will provide yourself with cheerfulness and good mood for the whole day!
4. Spend more time outdoors.
5. Eliminate exposure to bright light half an hour before bedtime (TV, computer, smartphone, tablet, fluorescent lamp). Instead, take a short walk outside or spend time with your family.
6. The recommended duration of sleep is at least 8 hours. It is this sleep pattern that can ensure the normal functioning of all organs and systems of the body.
7. When reading, keep a distance of at least 30 cm from the book to the eyes.
8. After 30-40 minutes of reading or working on the computer, take breaks to do visual gymnastics. The set of exercises for the eyes presented above is perfect for both treatment and prevention of this pathology. In order to relieve stress from the muscles of the neck and back, do a little warm-up. Stretch, make smooth rotational movements with your head, first to the right, then to the left, tilt your head sequentially to the right and left shoulder.
9. When using a computer, keep a distance of at least 50 cm from the monitor to your eyes. Remember to maintain good posture at your desk. The load should not exceed 60 minutes at a time.
10. If you notice any of the above symptoms of visual impairment, contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible!

IMPORTANT! Prevention of spasm of accommodation will help to avoid myopia, which is why it is so important to follow these recommendations.

Useful video

In the video, an ophthalmologist answers all important questions about accommodation spasm:

Summing up, I would like to note that the spasm of accommodation in modern society is by no means a rare phenomenon. This is due to the frantic pace in which we live. It includes constant lack of sleep, low physical activity, and often its complete absence, poor nutrition, overexertion of the nervous system. It should be remembered that early diagnosis of accommodation spasm will allow you to cure this disease faster and without serious consequences. Therefore, at the first symptoms, contact a specialist and do not self-medicate!

The purpose of the blood vessels is to provide the eyeballs with the necessary trace elements, primarily oxygen. In order to prevent the occurrence of spasms, you need to know the causes of their occurrence.

Spasm of the vessels of the eye symptoms and treatment is the key to successful health. Only timely detection of pathology will help to avoid consequences, and the patient will be able to save vision.

Features of the vessels of the eye

Without a proper blood supply, the eyes will not be able to perform their functions. The necessary "food" for the nerve cells that are in the retina, nutrients and oxygen, they come with the blood stream. If at least one vessel does not cope with its work, others come to the rescue, they bring the necessary elements. This may explain the fact that the vessels of the eye are branched.

The blood flow in the eyes starts from the carotid artery. From here, blood goes to the central retinal artery, passes into the posterior ciliary arteries. Inside the optic nerve is the central artery, it is from there that the eye feeds. A small portion of the optic nerves that exit the eye supply food to small arteries. Together they form a circle, the number is from 6 to 12.

The venous network has the same structure as the arterial network. However, there is still a small feature: there are no valves. They are needed to prevent backflow of blood. Inflammatory processes can provoke the release of infection into the blood, thereby it can easily penetrate the brain.

Multiple vessels in the eyes are responsible for the work of a particular nerve or muscle; without this, the organs of vision will not be able to fully function. With spasm of the ophthalmic arteries, it is necessary to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

The reasons

Spasms of the vessels of the fundus can occur for many reasons, among them the following can be distinguished:

Doctors say that all eye diseases depend on their full blood supply. With muscle contractions of the vascular walls, the lumen of the vessel narrows. Vessel cell membranes do not receive potassium, sodium, calcium. Muscles do not contract as expected, do not relax.

Impaired blood circulation in the eyes can lead to retinal dystrophy, vascular embolism, glaucoma. Human health directly depends on the state of the vessels, or rather on how clear and clean they are.

Symptoms

As mentioned above, otherwise the spasm of the vessels of the retina is called angiospasm.

A typical complaint of all patients is a distortion of visual perception, discomfort, namely:

1. Vision is intermittently blurred. The symptom lasts in different ways, it can pass in five minutes or several hours.
2. Flies appear before the eyes. It is felt especially strongly at the moment when the patient tries to stand up abruptly.
3. Photomorphopsia.

During the diagnosis, you can see that the branches of the retinal artery are in a narrowed state. Spasms of the eye vessels can lead to blanching of the tissues of the fundus.

Since angiospasm does not manifest itself on its own, the first step is to find out what provoked the development of the pathology. Therapist and ophthalmologist are engaged in diagnostics and treatment.

Before prescribing treatment, the ophthalmologist conducts a complete examination of the vessels of the retina. With ophthalmoscopy, the doctor can assess the condition of the arteries and capillaries of the eye, as well as the fundus. To consider the full picture, the patient is first instilled with drops with an expanding effect.

A distinctive feature of spasms is hemorrhages in the retina, as well as the presence of cholesterol deposits. At a late stage of development, the tissues are edematous, can be seen with the naked eye.

Varieties of angiopathy

Depending on the underlying disease, vasospasm can be divided into several types:

1. Diabetic angiopathy- common form. In 40% of cases, it manifests itself in patients with diabetes mellitus. From the beginning of the development of the disease, angiopathy manifests itself after 5-7 years. Large vessels are affected, their blockage occurs.
2. With increased pressure, the arteries narrow and the veins expand. If left untreated, vascular sclerosis will begin to form.
3. Hypotonic angiopathy- arteries dilate, intraocular pressure rises. Vessels that cannot withstand the load burst, hemorrhage appears.
4. Angiopathy during pregnancy- the nature is temporary, after childbirth, the pathology goes away on its own in a few weeks. However, if there was previously another form of the disease, after the birth of the baby, it will begin to progress.

Angiopathy is dangerous in that it is difficult to notice at an early stage of development, since there are no symptoms (see).

Clinical picture, depending on the types of pathology:

The video in this article talks about other possible symptoms.

Treatment Methods

Treatment of angiospasm is an important process. An individual course of treatment is selected for each patient. It is necessary to take into account the age of the patient, the type of pathology, the reasons that caused it, and so on.

Interesting! Therapy is aimed primarily at relieving symptoms, eliminating the factors that provoked the development of the disease.

conservative methods

This includes the use of drugs from several groups, with the help of which you can eliminate the pathological process:

• Vitamin complexes: B15.12, 1;
• Drugs to reduce vascular permeability: Gingko, Parmidin;
• Firming preparations: Vasonite, Caviton;
• Improving microcirculation: Emoksipin;
• Preventing the formation of blood clots: Trombonet.

For the treatment of pregnant women, conservative therapy is rarely used, since side effects can adversely affect the condition of the fetus.

Physiotherapy

How to relieve vasospasm in the organ of vision with the help of physiotherapy:

1. Laser irradiation- The blood is cleansed. It becomes less toxic, immunity is strengthened.
2. Magnetotherapy- improves blood circulation, cells become more permeable, inflammation and pain are relieved.
3. Acupuncture- recommended for the treatment of angiopathy that has arisen after injury.

The cost of this treatment varies.

Folk methods

You can relieve spasm of arteries not only by traditional methods, but also by traditional medicine.

Methods do not completely eliminate the pathology, but improve the patient's condition. The safest recipes:

1. Take half a tablespoon of St. John's wort, chamomile and hot water. Mix, insist for half an hour, strain. Every morning on an empty stomach, drink 1/5 of the resulting remedy.
2. Take fifteen grams of lemon balm, yarrow, valerian. Separate two spoons, pour a glass of boiling water, let it brew for three hours. Boil in a water bath for fifteen minutes, strain. Add water, the total volume should be equal to 0.25 liters. During the day, drink the prepared remedy.

You can use folk remedies only after visiting a doctor. It is unacceptable to use such methods as the main treatment.

Proper nutrition

During diabetic and hypertensive angiopathy, a special diet is required. Avoid foods that are high in cholesterol.

Important! A doctor should make up the right diet.

If you are diabetic, avoid the following foods:

• mustard;
• Alcoholic drinks;
• Spicy dishes;
• Sweet fruits;
• Sugar.

With hypertensive angiopathy, the following restrictions are provided:

• No strong tea or coffee;
• Fatty dishes and broths are not allowed;
• Spicy dishes;
• Smoked sausages or fish;
• It is too salty.

You need to stick to such a diet exactly as long as the doctor recommends.

Complications and prognosis

If the disease was detected in a timely manner, and the treatment was completed, the prognosis is favorable. The underlying disease should be given as much attention as possible. You can avoid the recurrence of pathology only by following the recommendations of a specialist.

If left untreated, the patient is at risk of developing glaucoma, cataracts. The juvenile form of the disease carries the greatest danger, since it is difficult to treat.

Complications are extremely serious:

• In vitreous glass hemorrhage;
• development of cataracts;
• The number of vessels increases;
• The retina peels off.

The photo below is an example of complications.

Prevention

The main goal of prevention is to prevent complications in the main disease: high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus.

All patients must follow the following rules:

• Visit an ophthalmologist several times a year and undergo preventive examinations;
• Complete rejection of bad habits;
• Pay due attention to sleep and rest;
• Watch your diet;
• Distribute physical activity correctly;
• Diseases that have a negative impact on blood vessels should be treated in a timely manner.

Treatment of spasm of the vessels of the fundus is long and difficult. Do not panic and despair, as the timely started therapy gives a high chance of recovery. When the first signs of pathology appear, you should immediately visit the hospital and undergo a full examination.

Spasm of accommodation is a very unpleasant disease. It not only brings discomfort, but also worsens the quality of human life. Naturally, it is necessary to eliminate not only the symptoms of pathology, but also its causes. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the features of the presented disease.

What is "accommodation spasm"?

First, let's look at the concept itself. So, a spasm of accommodation is a temporary loss of the ability to see far and near. In this case, a change in the eye muscle occurs, which does not allow a person to clearly see objects at any distance. This condition may be temporary. However, under heavy load, it can often be repeated.

It should be noted that the presented disease can manifest itself both in adults and in children of different ages. However, this pathology can be completely cured. For this, different methods are used. But before starting therapy, you should understand the causes of the spasm, as well as establish an accurate diagnosis. This is done by an ophthalmologist.

Symptoms of the disease

So, you have already understood that accommodation spasm is an unpleasant pathology, but not everyone knows how it can manifest itself. Symptoms of the disease include the following:

• decrease in visual acuity if a person looks into the distance;
• to see the object, the patient has to bring it closer to the eyes;
• a person may experience unpleasant pain in the frontal and temporal region;
• with visual stress, the patient quickly gets tired, while both eyes can see differently.

In principle, these symptoms are not entirely specific. However, if they appear, then try to contact the doctor as soon as possible.

Causes of the appearance of pathology

Spasm of accommodation is a common disease that can develop due to the influence of certain factors. The cause of the appearance of pathology is most often:

If you feel that you often have vision, it can quickly deteriorate. Therefore, you should definitely consult a doctor, change your lifestyle and undergo a course of treatment prescribed by a specialist.

Varieties of pathology

There are several types of the presented disease:

• Physiological. It appears as a result of incorrect, often independent, treatment of vision problems. It does not pose much harm, however, visual hygiene in this case must be observed. This spasm of accommodation in children is especially common.
• Artificial. It may appear due to the action of certain types of drugs. Pathology completely disappears if you stop taking the drugs.
• Pathological. In this case, visual acuity is significantly reduced, which also poses a great threat to human health. At the same time, the development of this type of disease can be persistent and uniform (or not).

Features of the definition of pathology

In order not to be mistaken in the diagnosis and to receive effective treatment, it is necessary to consult a doctor. at the same time, it should be comprehensive and include not only an external examination of the patient. For diagnostics, various hardware techniques and special units are used, which make it possible to look inside the eye.

The doctor is obliged to find out the state of your vision with the help of corrective glasses. In addition, the specialist must take into account all the complaints of the patient. An additional examination of the patient should be carried out by a neurologist, ENT and therapist (pediatrician). Only after a comprehensive study of the patient, the doctor can prescribe adequate treatment in accordance with the established diagnosis.

Treatment of pathology

Naturally, this disease must be treated. Otherwise, the recurrence of the pathology can lead to a persistent one that cannot be improved without surgery. If the causes of spasm are established correctly, then certain methods should be used to eliminate the disease. First of all, you will be prescribed special exercises that will help relieve tension from the muscles of the eye.

Naturally, you may be shown drug therapy. For example, if you have an accommodation spasm, drops, ointments, tablets or other drugs should be selected in accordance with the doctor's recommendations. If the pathology is not running, then special exercises that are performed on ophthalmic equipment under the supervision of a specialist can help you. In addition to gymnastics, the doctor will prescribe the Irifrin solution. You can also take advantage of some physiotherapy procedures: magnetotherapy or electrophoresis with the use of medications.

Naturally, the patient will have to strictly observe, try not to sit at the computer for a long time, not to read in the wrong position. At home, you will also have to perform exercises that will help train the lens. At the same time, start playing sports, give up bad habits, improve your sleep, proper nutrition, which will provide the eye muscles with the necessary substances. You may need to drink some multivitamin complexes that will help improve vision.

Prevention of pathology

If you have found a spasm of accommodation, a specialist will tell you how to treat it. However, in order for you not to suffer from the unpleasant symptoms of this disease, you should try to carry out all preventive measures.

For example, try to reduce eye strain. That is, after half an hour of hard work, you should take at least a five-minute break. At the same time, walk more in the fresh air, look at pleasant, relaxing colors. Do not turn on too bright lamps in the evening. However, the light should not be too dim if you are working on a computer or reading a book. Be sure to eat well so that your body receives all the necessary nutrients.

Gymnastics to eliminate spasm

In order for you not to suffer from pathology, try to perform a certain set of exercises that will help you quickly bring your vision back to normal:

1. Move your eyeballs left and right, up and down.
2. Make circular movements with your eyes (both clockwise and counterclockwise).
3. Now try to close your eyes as tightly as possible and strain your eyelids. Then relax them and repeat the exercise again.
4. Move your eyeballs diagonally from top to bottom, left to right, and vice versa.
5. Try to keep your eyes close to your nose as much as possible.
6. Try to switch your vision from close to distant objects.

Perform all exercises 5-10 times. In this case, you can train the eye muscles and strengthen your eyesight.

Features of the disease in children

It should be noted that accommodation spasm can occur in children, regardless of their age. In this case, the causes of the appearance of pathology can be the same as in adults. The disease is especially often manifested in the primary grades of the school, when the child receives a colossal load on the eyes.

At this age, false myopia in children may be detected. In addition, the guys still do not know how to independently monitor the hygiene of their vision, so parents should do this.

As for the treatment of accommodation spasm in children, it practically does not differ from the general one. That is, the child can be assigned special glasses, adjustment using hardware techniques and exercises under the supervision of a doctor. You also need to change your diet. If necessary, you can give your baby vitamins prescribed by an ophthalmologist. Teach your child to do lens-relaxing exercises on their own and do not allow them to sit at the computer for a long time and read books in the wrong position.

In no case do not try to treat this pathology on your own. After all, the symptoms may indicate another, more dangerous disease. In any case, hurry up to see a doctor. The sooner you identify the pathology, the higher the chance of successfully coping with it. Be healthy!

Content

Many parents panic when ophthalmologists confirm a violation of accommodation in children, not realizing what it is and what it can threaten the child with. In fact, spasm of accommodation (false myopia) occurs not only in children, but also in adults, vision can be restored if the correct treatment is prescribed, which will relax the necessary eye muscles. Ophthalmologists know how to relieve spasm of the eye muscles, since the disease is considered common, and its mechanism of action is known.

What is accommodation spasm

To accommodate means to adapt. The ciliary muscles and ligaments adjust when a person changes the direction of their gaze, trying to see objects that are close. In this case, the eye muscles contract, the ciliary muscle tenses up, and the ciliary girdle, on the contrary, relaxes so that the lens changes focus, becoming more convex. When looking into the distance, disaccommodation occurs with relaxation of the ciliary muscles.

Accommodative spasm is a functional impairment of visual acuity when the ciliary muscle is in a constantly tense state during exercise, even if a change in the focus of the lens on a nearby object is not required. All smooth fibers of the optic muscle - meridional, radial, circular, are spasmodic, cannot relax. This disrupts the focusing mechanism of the lens and eye lenses, the person begins to see worse near and far.

ICD-10 code

According to the international classifier of diseases of the 10th revision, disturbances in accommodation and refractive abilities of the lens belong to the H52 code. Among them are:

• astigmatism - H52.2;
• presbyopia - H52.4;
• accommodative spasm - H52.5;
• aniseikonia - H52.3;
• various disturbances of accommodation - H52.6;
• accommodation disorders of unclear etiology - H52.7.

Symptoms

The first signs of the appearance of false myopia include the appearance of rapid fatigue when reading, writing or working at the monitor, if it is located close to the eyes. This situation is accompanied by the appearance of further signs requiring medical attention:

• there is a burning sensation and pain in the cornea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eyes;
• a person complains that the silhouettes of objects begin to blur, become less clear;
• it is difficult to look closely at something, especially at dusk, there is a decrease in visual acuity when working in the dark;
• pathology can be manifested by a headache in the temples, migraine, tearing, swelling, redness of the eyeballs are possible;
• constant unpleasant trembling of the eyelids, different sizes of pupils, constant involuntary movements of the eyeballs.

The reasons

Spasm of the visual muscles is often observed in children and adolescents who constantly sit at a computer or in front of a television screen at a short distance. At the same time, the following phenomena can contribute to false myopia in children:

• too high or too low level of the desk at which the child does his homework;
• improper lighting of the workplace;
• heavy training loads to which the child's body is not adapted;
• low level of physical activity, hypovitaminosis, muscle weakness.

Adults have their own reasons for the appearance of false myopia - starting from the age of 40-45, changes in the elasticity of the lens occur, the accommodation process is disturbed, near vision becomes worse, a person develops age-related farsightedness, spasm appears. Head injuries, a tendency to hysteria, menopausal manifestations can aggravate the pathology.

Classification

Ophthalmologists distinguish three types of accommodation disorders:

• Accommodative or physiological, when spasm occurs as a reaction to improper conditions of study, work, constant overload of the visual muscles. If the pathology of accommodation has just begun, then simple corrective measures, streamlining the sleep, rest, study regimen will return the former visual acuity.
• Caused artificially. This type of vision disorder appears as a result of taking certain medications - miotics. After discontinuation of treatment, vision returns to normal.
• Pathological spasm. Such a violation of accommodation is associated with a violation of refraction, when farsightedness in a person is replaced by myopia. This pathology can be old or recent, uniform or uneven, treatable or resistant to the effects of drugs and other therapeutic measures.

Diagnostics

Parents do not always correctly interpret the child's complaints about a prolonged headache, eye fatigue, attributing this to age-related changes or school workloads, so the pathology is detected during a general preventive examination at school. The child should be shown to a pediatric oculist so that he can conduct the following studies if accommodation is suspected:

• determined how visual acuity deteriorated with the help of special devices;
• what is the optical accommodation margin;
• investigated the refractive ability of the lens;
• took a shadow test for skiascopy;
• determined the consistency of movements and changes in the pupils of both eyes.

Treatment of spasm of accommodation

If it is impossible to immediately determine what were the reasons for the development of accommodation pathology in a child or adult, then the patient is sent for an additional examination to an orthopedist or neurologist to find out the causes of spasm of the ciliary muscles. Treatment of accommodation spasm in adults and children involves complex therapy, which includes the following activities:

• instillation into the conjunctival sac of eye drops that have a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the ciliary muscle and ligaments;
• the use of vitamin and mineral complexes that have a beneficial effect on the restoration of vision;
• eye exercises;
• electrophoresis;
• a course of correction with magnetotherapy;
• massage of the cervical spine and frontal area, therapeutic exercises, manual or acupuncture sessions.

Drops to relax the eye muscles

Drug therapy with special drops that relax the ciliary muscle allows you to quickly restore the accommodation apparatus. However, they need to be instilled regularly, and there is a high probability that after some time the accommodation will be disturbed again. Doctors recommend not only the instillation of drops from spasm, but also the implementation of other measures to restore vision. Drops against spasm include:

• Irifrin;
• Cyclomed;
• lutein;
• Midriacil;
• Tropicamide;
• Atropine (rarely used).

Irifrin

Being an adrenergic agonist, Irifrin drops contribute to the expansion of the pupil, relaxing the eye muscles, relieving spasm. These anti-spasm eye drops are used for children over six years of age and adults. Bury Irifrin from spasm at night, 1 drop in each conjunctival sac for at least one month to achieve optimal results. The drug is contraindicated in the following cases:

• the presence of angle-closure glaucoma;
• with aneurysm of the arteries;
• patients with acute heart failure and disorders of the blood supply to the brain;
• with hyperthyroidism;
• children's age up to 6 years.

Cyclomed

The drug is used to relieve symptoms associated with spasm - eliminates pain in the eyes, burning and pain, reduces redness of the eyeballs, has a calming effect, eliminates myopia. For adults and children, 1-2 drops of the solution are instilled at a time in each eye. The effect should come in 10-20 minutes, and if this does not happen, then another 1 drop of the solution is instilled into each eye. Cyclomed is not recommended for the following pathologies:

• allergies to the main substance or auxiliary components;
• angle-closure glaucoma;
• intestinal obstruction;
• post-traumatic paresis;
• under the age of 3 years.

Gymnastics for the eyes

Ophthalmologists recommend gymnastics for the eyes with spasm of accommodation, as a method that brings good results. However, you should be aware that you will have to do gymnastics regularly, perhaps for a year or two. The effect of the exercises will not be immediate, but will be fixed for a long time, the ability to accommodate will return again. Exercise for the eyes is done once a day, in the evenings, so that later the eyes no longer strain when reading or working. You can do the following exercises:

1. Stick on the window, at eye level, a small piece of plasticine, slowly looking away from it into the long term.
2. Close your eyes tightly and open your eyes, repeating this 10 times.
3. Blink frequently and quickly for 30 seconds.
4. Move the eyeballs in a circle 10 times, then the same number diagonally.

Treatment of spasm of accommodation in children

In a child, the process of accommodation and elimination of spasm is the faster, the earlier the parents discovered the problem and turned to specialists for help. In addition, strict adherence to medical recommendations plays a huge role in therapy - not everyone has the patience to monotonously, repeat the same exercises day after day and bury their eyes. Many stop doing the procedure after the emerging improvement. In order for accommodation to return to the child for a long time, and spasms do not recur, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Introduce into the diet foods that have a beneficial effect on vision - carrots, blueberries.
2. Take vitamin and mineral complexes that help to saturate the ciliary muscles with useful substances and restore its working capacity, for example, the Lutein children's complex.
3. Strictly follow all medical recommendations regarding the appointment of Irifrin or Cyclomed.

Forecast and prevention

Subject to all prescriptions, the prognosis for the removal of accommodative spasm is favorable, visual acuity is restored. To prevent the pathology from returning, you need to take the following measures:

• go jogging, exercise, walk more;
• reduce sitting time in front of a TV screen or monitor;
• exercise for the eyes;
• introduce fruits and vegetables into the diet that restore accommodation.

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Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.