Night blindness is a human disease. Night blindness - types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Or hemeralopia is a pathology characterized by a sharp deterioration in visual acuity in poor lighting.

There is deterioration in vision at night or at dusk, when moving from a lighted room to a dark one. As a result, a person’s ability to navigate in space and the perception of yellow and blue colors are impaired.

Night blindness - what is the disease characterized by?

Night blindness is a disease in which vision deteriorates in low light conditions. The development of pathology is caused by a decrease in the threshold of sensitivity of the retina to light. The level of vision impairment depends on the properties of the retina.

There are several types of night blindness.

Congenital. It appears from childhood. Develops during failures metabolic processes in the body, fermentopathy. The congenital form of the pathology is characterized by a gradual deterioration of vision. Orientation in space is impaired in poor lighting.
Symptomatic. Develops due to retinal dystrophy as a result eye diseases. The pathology is accompanied by symptoms that are characteristic of a specific eye disease.
Essential. Occurs as a result of a deficiency of vitamin A in the body. This type carries temporary nature. Appears when poor nutrition, abuse bad habits, liver diseases and gastrointestinal tract. This form of pathology is characterized by the appearance of dark spots on the eyeball.

Causes of this pathology

Lead to sharp deterioration vision can be caused by various dysfunctions of the body. The main causes of pathology are:

Osteochondrosis cervical region. As a result of spinal deformation, blood circulation, oxygen saturation of the brain, and optic nerve.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia. The disease occurs when chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, stressful situations. There are malfunctions nervous system, which lead to the appearance of dark spots before the eyes.
Hypertensive crisis. Sharp jumps blood pressure cause damage to the lower retina eyeball, increasing its sensitivity.
Lack of vitamins A, P2 (bioflavonoids), PP (nicotinic acid) in the body.
Diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system.
Metabolic disorders.
Poor nutrition, alcohol abuse.
Eye diseases: glaucoma, myopia.
Retinal pathologies: inflammation, detachment, pigment pathology.
Diseases of the optic nerve.
Reception medications which can destroy vitamin A.

Eye trauma and age-related changes can also lead to the development of night blindness.

What vitamin deficiency causes a problem?

Disease night blindness can be either congenital or acquired. A lack of vitamins in the body can lead to the development of the disease. Pathology occurs with a lack of vitamin A, sometimes B2, PP.

The cause of vitamin deficiency is:

poor nutrition;
fasting;
anemia;
dysfunction of the liver and gastrointestinal tract;
chickenpox;
rubella;
intoxication of the body.

The development of vitamin deficiency is accompanied by the occurrence of symptoms such as dry skin, sensitive, bleeding gums, and hyperkeratosis. Retinol (vitamin A) deficiency leads to softening of the membrane of the eyeball. After some time, erosions and ulcers appear on the surface of the eyes.

Vitamin deficiency leads to a disruption in the production and restoration of rhodopsin, the lack of which causes a deterioration in the sensitivity of the retina to poor lighting. A person who has excellent vision daytime days, at night he becomes practically blind.

The patient is poorly oriented in space in poor lighting, and a sensation of presence appears in the eyes foreign body, dry eye syndrome develops, color perception is impaired.

Symptoms of night blindness in humans

Signs of the disease appear depending on the causes of the pathology.

Characteristic symptoms in a person with night blindness (symptoms of vitamin A deficiency):

the picture is unclear, the outlines of objects become blurry and indistinct;
the perception of blue and yellow colors worsens;
coordination of movements is impaired;
inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the eyeball;
dry skin, mucous membranes of the eyes;
keratinization of the skin;
the appearance of ulcers on the cornea;
increased brittleness of nails and hair loss;
bleeding gums;
sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the eyes;
narrowing of the field of view in poor lighting;
there is a need to increase the brightness of light during the day while reading and writing;
a sharp deterioration in vision when the brightness of the light decreases;
gray spots on the conjunctiva of the eyelids;
dark spots before the eyes.

A person who has a vision pathology involuntarily changes his behavior. He becomes more careful, not in a hurry, avoids sudden transitions between bright light and a dark room.

As a result of the development of pathology in early childhood, children develop a fear of the dark. Before the onset of darkness, their feeling of fear and panic increases. Children become restless.

Correct diagnosis of the disease

A doctor can determine the cause of deterioration in visual acuity and prescribe effective treatment by prescribing diagnostic methods. First, a specialist conducts a visual inspection visual organs, patient interview.

The main diagnostic methods include:

Visometry. The quality of vision is determined using the Sivtsev table. For young children, use the Orlova table.
Fundus ophthalmoscopy. Helps examine the optic disc, retina, and blood vessels.
Tonometry. The amount of intraocular fluid is measured intraocular pressure.
Biomicroscopy. Allows microscopy of the structure of the eyeball: anterior chamber, iris, cornea, lens, fundus.
Optical coherence tomography allows you to determine the condition of the retina.
Perimetry is carried out to determine the size of the field of view.
Adaptometry. Helps establish the level of light perception. A flash is directed into the eyes bright light. The time period is then measured to determine the level of vision adaptation.
Electroretinography can detect retinal defects.

After the diagnosis, the ophthalmologist determines the diagnosis and prescribes treatment to eliminate the pathology.

Danger of disease

Night blindness often occurs as a consequence of another eye disease. Absence effective treatment with a simultaneous deficiency of vitamin A, leads to the development of undesirable complications.

The nature of the consequences that arise from the pathology depends on the causes of its occurrence: glaucoma, optic nerve atrophy, retinal pathology, myopia.

Some, with the development of night blindness, experience psychological disorders, because loss of vision and a feeling of uncertainty negatively affect the psyche. They may have a fear of the dark, they are poorly oriented in space in poor lighting, and often get into accidents.

As a result of metabolic disturbances, there is a deposition of iron salts in the organs of vision (siderosis of the eye), which leads to pigmentation of the cornea and optic nerve head.

In the absence of treatment, it can develop pain syndrome, tear production increases, the eyes quickly get tired with minimal stress. If the disease is caused by genetic factors, it can be transmitted from parents to children.

In the initial stages of the development of the disease, it can be eliminated with the help of drug therapy. Further development pathology leads to severe complications, which can lead to complete loss of vision.

Effective treatment of the disease

Therapy for night blindness depends on its forms and causes. There are several treatment methods.

Drug therapy. The patient is prescribed a course of vitamins A, B2, PP. The doctor also prescribes ophthalmic vitamin solutions and drugs to treat the provoking disease. They help quickly saturate the retina with vitamins.
Surgical intervention. For symptomatic hemeralopia, therapy consists of eliminating the underlying eye disease. Refractive surgery is performed when replacing the lens, skeroplasty. Myopia can be eliminated using laser correction. To treat cataracts and glaucoma, trabeculectomy, trabeculotomy, and phacoemulsification are performed. For retinal detachment, laser coagulation is used.

In combination with traditional therapy, folk methods are used:

In 0.5 l boiled water add 3 tablespoons of rose hips. The mixture should be boiled for 10 minutes and left for at least 12 hours. The finished medicine is taken 1-3 glasses three times a day. The course of therapy is 1 month.
Combine lingonberries, blackberries, primroses, raspberries, lemon balm, and knotweed root in equal quantities. Pour 350 ml of boiling water over a teaspoon of the vegetable mixture. Leave for 1 hour. Drink the prepared infusion ½ glass 3 times a day.

Helps speed up the healing process dietary food. It is necessary to include foods that are sources of vitamin A in your daily diet.

Proper prevention and prevention of disease

Preventive measures will help speed up the recovery process and prevent the recurrence of pathology:

Balanced diet. Include foods that contain vitamin A in your daily diet. These include: cod liver, butter, dairy products, eggs, fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs.
Healthy sleep. It is necessary to maintain a sleep schedule. The duration of night rest should be at least 8 hours. It is advisable to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
Moderate physical exercise. When playing sports, physical labor heavy physical exertion should be avoided.
Walking on fresh air. Hiking outdoor activities help saturate the body with oxygen, activate metabolism, and generally strengthen the body.
Wear Sunglasses. Eyes must be protected from bright sunlight, blinding light from car headlights. It is not recommended to look at snow in sunlight.
Proper workplace lighting when working at a computer for long periods of time.
Observe hygiene rules. It is necessary to avoid getting foreign bodies, dust, and germs into the eyes. After visiting public places, walking in the fresh air, contact with sick people, pets, you should wash your hands.
Every day you need to drink about 1.5 liters of purified water. This volume of fluid helps normalize water-salt balance in organism.
Treat colds, viral and infectious diseases in a timely manner.

If the first symptoms of eye disease develop, you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist.

Why does the disease have such a name?

Hemeralopia wears popular name night blindness. The disease received this name as a result of the similarity of the human retina in hemeralopia with the retina of chickens. The retina of the human eyeball consists of “cones” and “rods”.

“Cones” are elements with the help of which a person has the ability to distinguish the colors and shapes of objects. The “sticks” perform the function of light perception.

The chicken retina consists only of “cones”. Therefore, animals are unable to see in the dark. As a result of the development of pathology in people, deformation of the retina occurs, in which dysfunction of the “rods” is observed. As a result, a person loses the ability to distinguish shapes and colors of objects in poor lighting.

Whenever characteristic symptoms development of pathology, it is necessary to consult a specialist. You should not resort to self-medication.

Incorrect, untimely therapy can lead to the development undesirable consequences, complications. May cause complete loss of vision.

Treatment with folk remedies

Traditional treatment for night blindness is to use various decoctions, infusions and juices and other preparations from plants and products containing vitamins A, PP and B2, necessary for the normal functioning of the eyes.

So, effective traditional methods Treatments for night blindness are the following infusions, juices, decoctions and gruels:

Mix 2 parts each of blueberry leaves, linden flowers and dandelion (leaves, roots and flowers), add 1 part each of buckwheat and sea buckthorn leaves. Pour a tablespoon of the prepared herbal mixture into a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then leave in a warm place for half an hour, strain and take the prepared decoction one glass three times a day after meals.
Pour a teaspoon of wildflower flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Take the finished infusion one tablespoon three times a day after meals.
Pour a teaspoon of blue cornflower flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave for one hour. Strain the infusion and take 1/4 cup three times a day half an hour before meals.
Pour one tablespoon of blueberries into a glass of boiling water and leave for four hours. Strain the finished infusion and take half a glass three times a day, regardless of meals.
Consume sea buckthorn berries fresh or frozen, two glasses a day.
Pour three tablespoons of sea buckthorn berries into a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour, then strain. Drink the prepared infusion twice a day an hour after meals. You can add honey or sugar to the infusion to improve the taste.
Pour two tablespoons of nettle leaves and stem tips with a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, then strain. Take the finished infusion 1/3 cup three times a day half an hour before meals.
Take half or a whole glass of fresh carrot juice 2-3 times a day, half an hour before meals. The juice should be prepared immediately before use and stored for no more than 30 minutes.
Take blueberry juice diluted three times a day before meals. For each dose, you need to dilute a tablespoon of juice in half a glass of water.
Take half a glass of grape juice three times a day, half an hour before meals.
Sprout the wheat grains, then grind them in a meat grinder. A tablespoon of sprouted pulp grains of wheat pour a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for half an hour. Then leave for 15 minutes, then strain. Take the finished decoction 1/3 cup three times a day, regardless of meals.
Fish oil take 30–40 ml three times a day; Eat a small piece of lightly fried beef liver every day.
Take a teaspoon of sea buckthorn oil three times a day before meals. Before use, you should consult a specialist.

Eye drops for hemeralopia

To support reduced vision, it is recommended to use Riboflavin drops (vitamin B2). This multicomponent complex will enrich the tissues of the organs of vision with oxygen and facilitate the conduction of nerve impulses in the retina. The complex is prescribed for keratitis, iriditis, night blindness and conjunctivitis.

Place one drop in each eye 2 times a day. Duration of treatment is from 5 to 15 days. The drug is contraindicated for patients who are intolerant to the components of Riboflavin.

Which doctor treats

The disease is treated by an ophthalmologist. Depending on the concomitant diseases, it is possible to attract specialists of other profiles

What is night blindness - symptoms and treatment

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In twilight and twilight. That's why this disease also called twilight and night blindness. Is this disease dangerous? What causes it to appear? How does it manifest and how to treat it? Read about this in our article.

Night blindness disease

The disease night blindness develops in humans against the background of a deficiency of vitamin A (retinol), “responsible” for vision. It is found in visual purple, a light-sensitive substance in the human retina. When there is enough vitamin A, then a person sees well. If night blindness develops, vitamin A is in short supply, and it urgently needs to be replenished in order to avoid complete loss of vision. Acquired night blindness in humans is called functional. Functional hemelaropia can develop in the following conditions:

a person suffers from diseases of the retina (for example, retinal detachment, discoloration or inflammatory processes),
degenerative processes develop macular spot,
a person suffers from myopia, traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries.

In addition, they negatively affect improperly lit workplace, working at a computer, reading under a table lamp, and lack of eye protection from ultraviolet radiation (bright sun at sea or in the mountains). People over 40 years of age can also become potential victims of night blindness, since, starting from this age, the metabolic rate in the body decreases, which impairs the nutrition of the retina. This leads to a deterioration in the ability to see in semi-darkness and darkness. Functional hemelaropia is not dangerous, and in most cases it can be successfully treated.

But there is another type of this disease, which is quite dangerous because it develops at the genetic level and cannot be treated. The development of this type of night blindness is determined by the structure of the retina human eye. Normally, the human retina contains special light-sensitive cells - rods and cones. They are present in the retina in a ratio of 18:1. With a decrease in the number of rods in the retina, a person begins to see worse in twilight and darkness, i.e. night blindness develops. And this disease is called so because the retina of a chicken contains only cones, so chickens can distinguish colors well, but see practically nothing in the dark.

Symptoms of night blindness

Symptoms of night blindness do not appear in humans in normal lighting conditions. He can fully perform all tasks: read, write, work on a computer, etc. The disease night blindness makes itself felt only at dusk. A person sees objects blurry, the image loses clarity, sometimes the perception of colors is disrupted, this is especially noticeable on blue objects. The behavior of a person suffering from night blindness changes dramatically in conditions of lack of light: coordination of movements is impaired, he becomes more careful.

Night blindness, the symptoms of which we have just described, appears in conditions of vitamin A deficiency in the human body. Night blindness is often accompanied by conjunctivitis, dry skin and mucous membranes. Another symptom of night blindness is keratinization of skin areas on the abdomen and buttocks, as well as brittleness and hair loss, and the appearance of ulcers on the cornea of the eyes. This is especially true for children.

If you notice one or more symptoms of night blindness, contact an ophthalmologist who, using special tests, will determine your field of vision, the reaction of the pupils of your eyes to light, as well as the condition of the eye muscles and the retinal layer. Based on these studies, the doctor will conclude whether the person suffers from hemelaropia or not and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Treatment of night blindness

Treatment of night blindness, if it is congenital, is, unfortunately, impossible. Therefore, further we will talk about how to recover from functional hemelaropia, i.e. acquired night blindness. If you have been diagnosed with night blindness, treatment will depend on the cause. In order to get rid of night blindness, you need to cure the disease that caused it.

Most often, night blindness is caused by a lack of retinol; accordingly, vitamins for night blindness will be prescribed A and B2, which promote its best absorption. In severe cases, when a severe lack of vitamins is detected, it is replenished with the help of vitamin complexes. If the situation is not critical, then the patient should follow a diet, rich in food, which is a source of vitamin A. These are carrots, citrus fruits, vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products, eggs, cod liver, as well as turkey and beef liver.

It should be noted that night blindness is not a harmless disease. It is fraught with general deterioration or its complete loss. Please note that if you notice a deterioration in vision in only one eye, while the other sees normally in the dark, then this is not night blindness, but some other disease of the visual organs. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor in order to diagnose and treat the disease in a timely manner.

In addition to a balanced diet, the prevention of night blindness includes protecting your eyes from the bright sun at sea and in the mountains by wearing sunglasses and special mountain glasses, proper lighting of the workplace, as well as taking good care of your health in general.

Hemeralopia or night blindness is a violation of the eye's ability to adapt to darkness, caused by a lack of a special pigment in the human retina. Characterized by sharp decline visual acuity in the twilight, while daytime vision does not suffer much. The appearance and development of this pathology is associated with insufficient nutrition of eye tissue due to a lack of vitamins (usually A), the presence of a number of other diseases or congenital disorders.

What is night blindness

In ophthalmology, night blindness is poor vision at dusk; oculists do not classify the disorder as a separate disease. It is considered a symptom of others serious illnesses, signaling problems in the body, so a visit to the doctor cannot be postponed for a long time. Night blindness threatens not only vision problems, but also the possibility of serious injury due to impaired spatial orientation in evening time.

More more dangerous manifestation diseases for people driving. Firstly, the field of vision narrows and the driver cannot clearly see what is happening to the side, correctly assess the situation on the road and make a quick decision. Secondly, with night blindness, dark adaptation is impaired; eyes with nyctalopia cannot quickly switch from illumination by the headlights of oncoming traffic to normal conditions, blinding occurs, appears real danger getting into an accident.

Types of night blindness

Treatment of the disease begins after clarifying the patient’s medical history. Determine the exact causes of its occurrence and type. There are three main forms of night blindness:

essential - occurs due to a deficiency in the body of vitamin A, which serves as a component in the synthesis of the main visual pigment rhodopsin;
congenital - caused by disorders at the genetic level, no ophthalmological changes are detected upon examination;
symptomatic - appears in a variety of eye diseases (siderosis, cataracts, retinal pigmentary abiotrophy, glaucoma, myopia with disorders in the fundus).

Causes of the disease

Scientists have not yet been able to determine exactly what causes twilight vision impairment. The causes of night blindness can be congenital, caused by a genetic disorder, or acquired. More often diagnosed functional impairment, caused by insufficient vitamin A, one of the main “eye” vitamins. With its help, rhodopsin is synthesized, the main visual pigment of cones, which helps the retina adapt to changes in light fluxes. When the production of this substance is disrupted, a person experiences night blindness.

Symptoms of night blindness

The main signs of night blindness are decreased vision in low light conditions and narrowing lateral vision. There is a disorder of orientation in space, especially with rapid changes in illumination, difficulty in perceiving yellow and blue colors. A patient with night blindness tries not to go outside at dusk; he has an unsteady gait and a fear of falling. In addition to decreased vision, there is discomfort from dry sclera and nerve damage. Elderly patients may experience gray spots on their inner surface century

Diagnosis of the disease

If twilight vision is impaired, you cannot delay a visit to an ophthalmologist and wait until it “goes away on its own,” since night blindness can be a symptom of other serious eye diseases. For example, this is how retinal dystrophy begins; the photo on the Internet shows changes in the pattern of its vessels. Neglecting your health can lead to vision loss. After a conversation with the patient, to clarify the diagnosis of night blindness and its cause, the ophthalmologist conducts a series of studies.

Previously, to determine changes in visual fields in night blindness, perimetry was prescribed. Light perception testing was carried out using adaptometry: a flash of light was directed at the eye and the time during which it passed was recorded. full recovery visual function. More exact method diagnosis of night blindness - electroretinography. It is carried out similarly to the previous one, but it is not the time that is recorded, but the change in the electrical potential of the tissues caused by the flash of light. Electrooculography is also performed - a study of the retina and muscles of the eye and their movement.

To determine the adaptation of the organs of vision to darkness in night blindness, an adaptometer with special tables. They are a black cardboard base on which 3x3 cm squares of various colors are glued: blue, yellow, red and green. The ophthalmologist turns off the light and shows the table to the patient from a distance of about 50 cm. The test is considered positive, and adaptation is normal, if a person distinguishes yellow after 30-40 s, blue - 40-50 s. The conclusion about visual impairment in night blindness is made when the perception of blue is delayed by more than a minute.

Treatment

Treatment of night blindness in a person begins with determining its type, looking for the reasons for deterioration of vision in the dark and fear of being outside the house at this time. Congenital hemeralopia cannot be cured. In other cases, they do an analysis to determine the content of vitamins A, group B, and PP in the body, and if there is a deficiency of any, they are prescribed to take them. If other diseases are suspected, a consultation with doctors of other profiles, for example, an endocrinologist, is prescribed. Diabetics may be afraid to go outside at dusk due to poor vision in the dark.

Nutrition for night blindness

Detection of disturbances in clear vision at dusk is the first signal to visit a doctor as soon as possible and review your diet. Vitamin A therapy deserves special attention in case of night blindness. If the diet is balanced and vision is impaired, it means that it is poorly absorbed, it is necessary to find out why - check the functioning of housing and communal services, the liver, eliminate smoking and excessive consumption of strong drinks. alcoholic drinks.

In addition to vitamin A, the diet of both a child and an adult suffering from night blindness should contain sufficient quantities of riboflavin, nicotinic acid, minerals and microelements. The diet should include foods such as:

carrots with sour cream or butter;
sweet red and yellow peppers;
spinach and other greens;
peaches;
black currant;
dried apricots (apricots);
cherry;
dairy products;
eggs.

Good to combine various cereals with vegetables, it is useful to add bran to them. Lean (no fat) meats and liver should not be excluded from the diet. For night blindness Special attention You should pay attention to blueberries; their importance for the prevention and treatment of hemeralopia has long been recognized by doctors. Its fruits contain a special substance - anthocyanoside, which can stimulate the synthesis of the main light-perceiving pigment of the retina, rhodopsin. In case of night blindness, this helps to improve adaptive abilities when changing light intensity.

Vitamin preparations

A specific symptom of hypovitaminosis A is difficulty in orientation at dusk. Night blindness due to vitamin deficiency is manifested by an increase in the speed of adaptation of the eye with a sharp change in the intensity of the light flux falling on it. In therapy, to correct poor vision in the dark, vitamin complexes are used, which, in addition to A, contain nicotinic acid and rutin. In parallel, for night blindness, drugs are recommended to improve the nutrition of the retina and the synthesis of its main pigment - rhodopsin. Blueberry-based preparations are effective in this case.

Surgical intervention

Nyctalopia is treated on an outpatient basis, but surgery for night blindness is indicated if it is caused by the presence of other eye diseases that cannot be cured by therapy alone. Thus, in advanced forms of glaucoma, when other methods fail to reduce intraocular pressure, sclerectomy is performed. There is no way to completely get rid of cataracts without replacing the lens that has lost its elasticity with an artificial one. Myopia is leveled through laser correction surgery.

ethnoscience

How to improve vision in the dark after diagnosis? In addition to the prescribed medicines, a diet enriched with vitamin A can complement the treatment of night blindness folk remedies. In addition to fresh, dry blueberries and dishes made from them, other plants are also used:

Cornflower. Take a teaspoon of dried herbs and flowers per glass of boiling water, boil for about 3 minutes, remove from heat, let stand for an hour, drink the entire decoction a day in 4 doses, take for 3-4 weeks. At the same time, it is necessary to make eye lotions from the decoction every day.
Carrot. Take 3 tablespoons of grated root vegetables, dilute in a liter of milk, boil until soft, drink a third of a glass shortly before bed. Drink half a glass of juice twice a day with the addition of a spoonful of honey and a small amount of oil.
Sea buckthorn. During the berry season, try to eat 0.5 cups fresh, add to food, make drinks, and for the winter - mashed with sugar.

Prevention

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the prevention of night blindness should be based on good nutrition, including necessary complex vitamins and minerals. It is important to observe a work and rest schedule, especially if the work involves a long stay in front of the monitor. The ideal option is to take a break every 45 minutes and exercise your eye muscles. To prevent the occurrence of night blindness, you should try in the summer in the bright sun and in the winter, especially when snow falls, do not forget your dark glasses at home. You can't look at complete darkness TV.

Video: night blindness

Night blindness has been known since ancient times, and is correctly called hemeralopia. Doctors do not distinguish between the degrees of this disease (it simply exists or does not exist), however, ophthalmologists draw attention to the fact that hemeralopia significantly reduces a person’s quality of life, and in some cases can have dangerous consequences.

Hemeralopia (or night blindness) is a twilight vision disorder due to a disease of the retina and optic nerve, which is characterized by weakened vision in dark time days. Symptoms: weakened vision and spatial orientation at dusk, disruption of the process of light adaptation, narrowing of visual fields, and sometimes problems with the perception of blue and yellow colors.

Night blindness often occurs in people after 50 years of age. The number of car accidents involving drivers with this disease is almost the same as due to drunk driving. Doctors warn that a person with hemeralopia simply does not notice dangers on the road at dusk, and in the light of the headlights of oncoming cars, he generally loses orientation - the bright light blinds him, and he does not adapt to the darkness (or adapts slowly).

Therefore, German ophthalmologists suggest that when checking the vision of motorists by a medical commission, they also check for hemeralopia. False “night blindness” - this also happens, although not all ophthalmologists agree with this definition - after all, it either exists or it does not. False hemeralopia is considered to be cases when a decrease in twilight vision occurs, for example, due to long work at the computer, when a person is forced for a long time look at the monitor.

Causes of night blindness

Both women and men are equally susceptible to hemeralopia, but it has been noted that during menopause, when female body Various endocrine changes occur, the risk of developing night blindness in women is slightly higher than in men of the same age. It is known that the aborigines of Australia have increased vigilance at night, and their visual acuity is higher. Studies show that their vision is developed at a level of 400%.

Northern peoples also see better in the dark. This ability has been developed over centuries - in the north there are significantly fewer sunny days, and the eye has “historically” adapted to such conditions. Hemeralopia greatly interferes in winter, when daylight hours become shorter. Among possible reasons experts call hidden disease body: general exhaustion due to hard work or long-term illness, pregnancy, anemia or glaucoma.

Sometimes the disease is associated with heredity, but it can arise as a result of a disease suffered in early childhood. Often the cause is malnutrition, anemia, toxic effects on the body, the optic nerve, liver, and prolonged exposure to bright light on the eyes. One of the main causes of hemeralopia is considered to be a deficiency of vitamins A, B2 and PP. Especially vitamin A. Congenital hemeralopia manifests itself already in childhood and early adolescence.

Night blindness can be a symptom of the following diseases:

Symptoms of night blindness

First of all, the symptoms of night blindness in humans are manifested by decreased vision in poor lighting. Discomfort may occur due to a feeling of dryness or a foreign body in the eye. At the same time, orientation in space is disrupted, especially during a sharp transition from a light room to a dark one. Night blindness is accompanied by a narrowing of the visual field and impaired light perception. Most often, people have difficulty differentiating between blue and yellow.

Older people may develop Iskersky-Bito plaques. They are spots on the conjunctiva of the eyelids (the back surface of the eyelids), which are colored grey colour and do not rise above the surface of the mucous membrane. Let's figure out which vitamin deficiency causes night blindness in humans: Hemeralopia caused by a lack of vitamin A - it is additionally accompanied by dryness skin, bleeding gums, the appearance of hyperkeratosis (areas of rough skin compaction).

These symptoms are often accompanied by itching and scratching of the skin. If there is vitamin deficiency (complete lack of vitamin A), then a person experiences keratomalacia - softening of the cornea of the eye, in the place of which erosions and ulcerative defects. Children suffering from night blindness are very often afraid of the dark and become very restless as evening approaches.

Treatment of night blindness

Congenital hemeralopia, unfortunately, cannot be treated. In other cases, vitamin preparations are prescribed and the eye disease causing hemeralopia is treated. Therefore, first doctors look for the cause of the disease - they determine what the body lacks. Patients with hemeralopia are referred for examination to determine the level of retinol, carotene and vitamin A in the blood. If the concentration of these vitamins is reduced, treatment is prescribed. Consultations with specialists in other fields are recommended.

The result of treatment for night blindness will depend to a very large extent on the causes that caused the disease. Here, it is possible both complete elimination of symptoms and recovery, and persistent disorder, not amenable to treatment. One more important point in the treatment of hemeralopia will be the patient's age. The older the patient, the lower the chances of recovery.

Diet and vitamins to prevent night blindness

When twilight blindness occurs in both adults and children, special attention should be paid to the patient’s nutrition. Food should contain foods rich, as already noted, in vitamins A and B2. And also RR. These include many vegetables:

carrot;
salad;
green leeks;
spinach.

It is important to combine their use with fats of animal origin: butter, sour cream. It must be remembered that they are learned only together. Berries and fruits you should eat:

apricots;
peaches;
cherries;
gooseberry;
red and black currants;
blueberries and blackberries.

As already mentioned, it is necessary to increase consumption butter, milk, cheese, are also useful egg yolks And millet porridge. In addition, the ophthalmologist may prescribe vitamin complexes or ryboflavin and vitamin A preparations.

Questions and answers on the topic "Night blindness"

Question:Hello, I have black ones appearing at dusk. transparent circles in the center of the field of view, and disappear in daylight. What is this?

Answer: Hello. dark spot appears in the center of the field of view when pathological process in the area of the macula of the retina. Another reason for the appearance dark spot in the center of the visual field there may be damage to the choroid. Damage to the choroid leads to impaired nutrition of the retina, and therefore to impaired light perception function. If a dark spot appears in the center of your field of vision, you should first consult an ophthalmologist.

Question:Hello, at dusk I start to see poorly, especially when I look into the distance, everything blurs for me, as if it’s covered in a veil and I have to strain my eyes, and it also happens when I look close and then into the distance everything is blurry for a few seconds. Maybe I don't have enough vitamins or my vision is getting worse? What to do?

Answer: Hello. Your question can only be answered after complete diagnostic examination vision.

Hemelaropia (night blindness) is a pathology characterized by worsening or complete absence vision in low light conditions, at dusk. At the same time, daytime visibility remains at the same level. Hemeralopia may be a symptom of any ocular pathology or act as an independent disease.

Pathology develops against the background of a lack of Retinol (vitamin A), responsible for the functioning of the visual organs. This element is part of the photosensitive substance (visual purple) located in the retina of the eye.

Night blindness not only creates problems with visibility of objects, but also increases the risk of serious injury due to impaired spatial orientation at dusk.

Hemelaropia poses the greatest danger to drivers. A person driving has a narrowing field of view, which is why he is poorly oriented in a situation happening to the side, and, accordingly, is unable to adequately assess the situation and quickly make the right decision.

In addition, with nyctalopia, there is a violation of dark adaptation - the eyes cannot instantly switch from the harsh illumination of oncoming traffic back to night visibility conditions, resulting in blinding, which can provoke an accident.

Types of pathology

Treatment of the pathology begins only after full examination and productions accurate diagnosis. The specialist determines the type of disease, as well as the reasons for its development, then, based on the data obtained, prescribes appropriate therapy.

The following forms of hemeralopia are distinguished:

Congenital. Called genetic disorders, while no ophthalmological changes are observed.
Essential. It develops due to a lack of vitamin A, without which the synthesis of rhodopsin, the main visual pigment, is impossible.
Symptomatic. It occurs against the background of various eye diseases - glaucoma, cataracts, myopia with changes in the fundus, retinal pigment abiotrophy, siderosis.

Reasons for the development of hemelaropia

There are no specific factors that provoke the development of pathology. The main reason is a deficiency of retinol, which is responsible for clear vision. The development of hemelaropia is provoked by the following factors:

Symptoms of nyctalopia

Nyctalopia does not manifest itself in good lighting. Man is capable of living full life, performing the necessary actions: working at the computer, writing, reading, etc. Hemelaropia can only appear at dusk - objects are seen blurry, image clarity disappears, and sometimes there is a violation of color perception (especially blue).

A patient suffering from this pathology dramatically changes his behavior in poor lighting conditions: he is more careful, coordination of movements is impaired. The disease is often accompanied by dry mucous membranes and skin, and the development of conjunctivitis.

In addition, there are following symptoms night blindness in humans:

hair fragility and alopecia (loss);
keratinization of certain areas of the skin on the buttocks and abdomen;
the formation of ulcers on the cornea of the eyes, especially for children.

If you notice at least one of these manifestations, immediately consult a specialist. The ophthalmologist will conduct necessary examination and, based on the data obtained, will prescribe treatment.

Diagnosis for night blindness

In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the following activities:

In addition, the specialist evaluates the condition of the retina, blood vessels, optic nerve head.

Therapeutic measures for nyctalopia

Treatment of the disease begins with determining the type of disease, as well as establishing the exact causes of the development of the pathology.

The congenital form of hemeralopia cannot be treated. In other cases, carry out laboratory research to determine the concentration of vitamins A, group B and PP in the body. If any of them is missing, an appointment is made.

If the development of other pathologies is suspected, the ophthalmologist refers the patient for a consultation with specialized specialists(for example, to an endocrinologist), since diabetics very often suffer from deterioration of vision at dusk.

Also, to fix poor eyesight at dusk, the doctor prescribes complexes vitamin preparations, including vitamin A, rutin and nicotinic acid. At the same time, it is recommended to take medications that help improve the nutrition of the retina and the production of rhodopsin (the main component). In this case high efficiency showed medicines based on blueberries.

Eye drops for illness

To support visual function, vitamin B12 drops (Riboflavin) are prescribed. This multicomponent drug helps enrich the eye tissue with oxygen, as well as facilitate the passage of nerve impulses in the retina. Riboflavin is used for conjunctivitis, keratitis, and nyctalopia. The drug is instilled twice a day, drop by drop (in both eyes). The duration of therapy is 5-15 days. Contraindications - individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Indications for surgery

Nyctalopia is treated in outpatient setting . If there are others ophthalmological pathologies, which cannot be cured through traditional therapy, is indicated surgery. For example, running form Glaucoma involves sclerectomy, since conventional methods cannot reduce eye pressure. Myopia is corrected with a laser, and cataracts are treated with surgery that involves replacing the lens.

Diet for hemelaropia

At the first symptoms of the disease, you must urgently seek help from an ophthalmologist and reconsider your diet. Particular attention should be paid to the amount of vitamin A in the foods consumed. If visual impairment is observed even with balanced diet, it is necessary to establish the cause - conduct an examination of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, stop smoking, and overuse strong alcohol.

In addition to retinol, the body of a child and an adult should receive sufficient quantity microelements, minerals, nicotinic acid and riboflabin.

The menu of a person suffering from hemeralopia includes the following products:

It is very useful to prepare various porridges with the addition of vegetables and bran. You should definitely include lean meat in your diet. It is also necessary to pay special attention to blueberries, the fruits of which contain an active element - anthocyanoside, which helps stimulate the production of rhodopsin - the light-perceiving pigment of the retina. This will improve eye performance in changing light conditions.

Traditional medicine

In addition to taking medications prescribed by the doctor and following a diet enriched with vitamins, treatment can be supplemented with traditional medicine.

Carrot. Mix grated root vegetables (3 tablespoons) with milk (1 l), cook until soft. Drink 1/3 cup before bedtime. You can also prepare fresh carrot juice, which should be drunk half a glass twice a day, adding a little oil and a spoonful of honey.
Cornflower. Pour dry raw materials (flowers and grass) with water and cook for about three minutes, leave for an hour. The components are taken in the proportion of 1 teaspoon/glass of boiling water. Drink the decoction during the day in 4 doses. Course - 3-4 weeks. At the same time, lotions are made from this decoction daily.
Sea buckthorn. During the berry picking season, you need to eat half a glass of fruits every day, as well as add them to food and cook healing drinks. For the winter, they make a preparation from sea buckthorn, mashed with sugar.
Every day you need to drink 1 table of rosehip syrup. l.
Prepare healing decoction from millet (1 cup) and water (2 l). Mix the ingredients and cook until fully cooked. Consume 2-3 tablespoons daily. l. until there is improvement.
It is also recommended to take every day fish fat in small quantities.

Preventive measures for nyctalopia

Hemelaropia is a pathology that is very easy to prevent, provided that it is not hereditary. To do this, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Prognosis for the treatment of hemeralopia

In most cases, the prognosis for treatment of the acquired form of the disease is quite favorable. However, advanced hemeralopia in the absence of treatment for the underlying disease can lead to complete loss of visual function.

The essential type of pathology is quite easy to treat without causing complications. As a rule, if you follow all recommendations for taking fortified preparations, as well as using special diet, the patient's vision improves very quickly.

Night blindness is a rather unusual disease in humans. Manifests itself in the lack of ability to see and navigate in the dark. Hemeralopia is treatable only if it is acquired. To do this, you need to consume a sufficient amount of vitamins, adhere to healthy image life, spend preventive actions. If you notice the first symptoms of the development of pathology, you must immediately contact the clinic and undergo all necessary research for the purpose of establishing exact reason diseases. Ignoring signs of the disease can lead to serious complications and decreased quality of vision.

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