Night blindness occurs when there is a lack of a vitamin. Hemeralopia - causes, signs, symptoms and treatment. Diagnostics for night blindness

Night blindness is a popular designation for the pathology of vision, which in medicine is called hemeralopia or nyctalopia. The disease manifests itself in a significant deterioration in visual perception in low light environment. At the same time, a person's coordination is disturbed, the fields of vision are narrowed, and an incorrect perception of things in blue and yellow shades is noted.

Etiology

Night blindness has specific causes of manifestation. Doctors have identified that the disease may have a congenital etiology, the causes of which have not been precisely determined. The main provoking factor is associated with a lack of vitamin A in the body.

Nyctalopia, another medical term for night blindness, also acts as a symptom of various pathologies that are based on damage to the retina:

• high degree;
• pigmented;
• siderosis.

With a lack of vitamins A, PP, B2, visual perception also deteriorates in humans. Certain ailments and indicators can provoke this condition:

• unbalanced diet;
• starvation;
• or ;
• liver disease;
• damage to the gastrointestinal tract;
• alcoholism;
• depletion of the body;
• certain medicines;
• prolonged exposure to bright light.

Classification

Based on the etiology of the disease, clinicians determined that night blindness, as a disease, can manifest itself in three forms:

• congenital - develops according to a hereditary factor in childhood;
• essential - night blindness is formed from a lack of vitamins and trace elements, with a violation of the structure of the retina;
• symptomatic - progresses from concomitant ailments that affect the retina or optic nerve.

Also in medicine, another type of disease is distinguished, which is called false hemeralopia. It manifests itself in an insignificant violation of visual function in the dark. The disease is provoked by severe overwork of the eyes. This type of disease does not require medical assistance, which makes it enough for the patient to fully rest.

Symptoms

As a rule, night blindness occurs in people from vitamin deficiency. Therefore, it will not be difficult for the patient to cope with such an ailment. In order to recognize the disease in time, a person needs to monitor all changes in vision, especially during twilight.

Doctors identified the main symptoms in a person with night blindness:

• gradual deterioration of visual perception;
• the retina reacts poorly to a light source;
• color perception deteriorates;
• dark spots appear;
• sensation of a foreign body;
• loss of orientation in space.

If night blindness manifested itself in an adult, then Iskersky-Bito plaques may indicate the disease. They appear as spots on the conjunctiva of the eyes and are colored in a characteristic grey colour, and are also flush with the surface of the shell.

In case nyctalopia has developed due to a lack of vitamins, then the patient has slightly different symptoms. A person shows some of the above-mentioned changes, as well as the skin is dehydrated, the gums begin to bleed, and strongly compacted areas appear on the body. Night blindness manifests itself in characteristics, to which such symptoms are added - and keratomalacia. In a place where the cornea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eye has softened a little, the patient may experience erosion or an ulcer.

In childhood, anxiety is manifested with the onset of the dark time of the day.

Diagnostics

A disease such as night blindness can only be established by a doctor. If a person has any of the above symptoms, then you should definitely contact an ophthalmologist. With the help of electroretinography and analysis of the anamnesis, the physician can establish the correct diagnosis and determine the causes of the eye anomaly.

also in diagnostic measures The patient may be referred for the following examinations:

• perimetry - identification of the fields of the eye;
• adaptometry - a test for the perception of a light source;
• electrooculography - examination of the eye muscles and the surface of the retina during eye movement.

Treatment

If a person is diagnosed with congenital hemeralopia, then its treatment is impossible. Other forms of the disease can be cured with medication and folk ways. In very rare and severe cases, doctors resort to surgical therapy.

The problems with the eyes of the essential type can be eliminated with the help of a diet. The patient is simply prescribed the use more vitamin A, as well as maintaining a correct and healthy daily routine. Diet therapy, which can be prescribed to the patient, is based on the use of such ingredients:

• carrot;
• egg yolk;
• tomatoes;
• cheese dairy product;
• millet;
• berries;
• butter;
• spinach;
• beef liver.

Also, the patient should not forget about fresh vegetables and fruits. Doctors recommend eating more peaches, pumpkins, green peas, parsley and apricots. In addition to vitamin A, the body needs to be enriched with vitamin E. To do this, add nuts, seeds, potatoes and broccoli to the diet.

Drug treatment of night blindness consists in the use of vitamins and special drops to improve vision. Often, the drops contain vitamin complexes that have a positive effect on the retina.

Traditional medicine provides for the elimination of hemeralopia in the following ways:

• drink fish oil three times a day;
• take a rosehip decoction.

It is possible to treat the disease surgically only if hemeralopia manifested itself in a person in a symptomatic form. Often, surgery is prescribed for patients with glaucoma. Thanks to prompt assistance, the patient regains his former vision at any intensity of illumination.

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Night blindness is poor, impaired vision in low light conditions (eg, in the dark, at dusk, at night, etc.). This means that with good illumination, a person has completely normal vision, but if he moves into any room with a lack of light or it is dusk on the street, then he sees poorly. That is, with the onset of darkness or a decrease in lighting, a pronounced deterioration in vision occurs.

Medical designation of the disease night blindness and its
synonyms

Night blindness is the popular name for the disease, which in the Russian terminological tradition is referred to as hemeralopia. In general, the term "hemeralopia" is formed from three Greek words - "gemer", "ala" and "op", which are translated into Russian as "day", "blind" and "vision", respectively. That is, the final translation of the term "hemeralopia" is "day blindness". As you can see, the literal translation of the term does not reflect the essence of the disease, since with night blindness a person sees poorly in the dark, that is, at night and in the evening, and not during the day. However, it this term in non-English-speaking countries, including in the post-Soviet space, it has been used to refer to poor vision in the dark for a long time (more than a hundred years), because once a mistake was made in the name of the disease and subsequently not corrected. In this way, on the basis of the "accustomed" name, the term "hemeralopia" has come down to our days to refer to a well-known disease - night blindness.

In English-speaking and many other countries, a different term is used for the medical designation of night blindness - "nyctalopia". The term "nyctalopia" is also derived from the three Greek words "nikt", "ala" and "op", which are translated as, respectively, "night", "blind" and "sight". Accordingly, the final full translation of the term "nyctalopia" is "night blindness". As you can see, nyctalopia is fully consistent with the essence and meaning of the disease, popularly called night blindness. However, this linguistically and functionally correct term is used to refer to night blindness only in English-speaking countries, as well as the former colonies of Great Britain.

Due to these features, night blindness is called hemeralopia in Russia, and nyctalopia abroad. Therefore, the terms "nyctalopia" and "hemeralopia" in the mouths of English-speaking and Russian-speaking doctors, respectively, will be synonyms denoting the same disease, known by its popular name, like night blindness.

Night blindness - the essence of the disease and general characteristics

Night blindness is poor, low vision in low light. Moreover, vision becomes poor only in the dark or in poor lighting conditions, and in the daytime or in bright light, a person sees perfectly. Night blindness can be both an independent disease and a symptom of some other pathologies of the human eye.

Night blindness affects both men and women equally. However, in menopausal age (about 50 years), this pathology develops in women more often than in men, which is due to hormonal and powerful endocrine changes that occur in their body and affect the work of all organs and systems, including the eyes. Hormonal changes during menopause increase the risk of developing night blindness, so at the age of 50 there are more women suffering from this disease than men. In all other age categories, the ratio of men and women suffering from night blindness is the same and is approximately 1: 1.

Night blindness never develops in nations far north(for example, the Khanty, Mansi, Eskimos, Kamchadals, etc.) and Aborigines (Indians) of the Australian continent. This is due to the fact that the eyes of the peoples of the Far North in the course of evolution have adapted to vision in the dark, since most of the time they are forced to live in polar night conditions. The natives of the Australian continent also, for some reason, in the course of evolution, gained the ability to see in the dark 4 times better compared to representatives of the Caucasoid race.

The essence of night blindness is that as soon as, for any reason, a person finds himself in a situation with poor lighting, he ceases to clearly distinguish the outlines of objects and their shape, he sees everything as if in a fog. The colors are practically indistinguishable, everything is seen just plain and darkened. A person is especially bad at distinguishing Blue colour. Often he sees dark spots or shadows on objects. In addition, the field of view is significantly narrowed. When moving from darkness to a well-lit room or space, colored spots may appear on objects. To visualize the essence of night blindness, you need to look at figures 1 and 2, which show exactly how a person with normal vision and suffering from hemeralopia sees the surrounding picture.

Figure 1 - Perception of the surrounding space in low light (at dusk) by a person with normal vision.

Figure 2 - Perception of the surrounding space in low light (at dusk) by a person suffering from night blindness.

Night blindness has been known to mankind since ancient times and is associated with any disturbances in the functioning of the retina or optic nerve. Hemeralopia significantly reduces the quality of human life, as it can provoke a fear of the dark and pronounced disorder orientation at night, which can lead to injury and dangerous situations arising from normal activities.

Classification and characteristics of types of night blindness

Depending on the causes of occurrence, all variants of night blindness are divided into three varieties:
1. Congenital night blindness;
2. Essential night blindness;
3. Symptomatic night blindness.

congenital night blindness It is inherited and manifests itself at an early age - in children or adolescents. The causes of congenital night blindness are often various genetic diseases, such as, for example, Usher's syndrome or hereditary retinitis pigmentosa.

Essential night blindness is a functional disorder of the retina, provoked by a deficiency of vitamins A, PP and B 2 or the trace element zinc. The causes of essential night blindness are various conditions in which the intake or absorption of vitamins A, PP and B 2 is impaired, for example, poor-quality malnutrition, starvation, diseases of the liver or digestive tract, alcohol abuse, rubella, poisoning with any toxic substances or prolonged exposure to bright light.

Symptomatic night blindness develops against the background of various eye diseases associated with damage to the retina or optic nerve. In this case, night blindness is a symptom of the following severe eye lesions - high myopia, glaucoma, tapetoretinal dystrophy, chorioretinitis, optic nerve atrophy, siderosis.

In addition to the listed types of hemeralopia, doctors and scientists distinguish another condition called false night blindness. In this case, a person's vision is impaired and deteriorates in the dark and in low light conditions due to banal eye fatigue, for example, after a long work with computer monitors, televisions, radars or other devices, etc. False night blindness is not a disease, but reflects the functional deterioration of the eye analyzer, resulting from its overstrain. After a person gives his eyes good vacation vision will be fully restored. However, if a person often strains their eyes excessively and does not give them quality rest, then this can lead to serious illnesses and permanent visual impairment.

Causes of night blindness

The direct cause of night blindness is a decrease in the number of specific cells in the retina of the eye, which are responsible for the perception of the image of the surrounding space in low light conditions.

It is known that there are two main types of light-sensitive cells on the retina of the eye, which are called rods and cones (see Figure 3). Rods are responsible for twilight vision, while cones, on the contrary, are responsible for vision in bright light conditions. Normally, there are many more rods on the retina than cones, since a person finds himself in situations of insufficient light much more often than in conditions of perfect and bright light.

Normally, the retina has approximately 115,000,000 rods and only 7,000,000 cones. The reason for the development of night blindness is either a violation of the structure of the sticks, or a decrease in their number. The most common direct cause of night blindness is the breakdown or disruption of the synthesis of a special visual pigment, rhodopsin, which is the main functional unit of the rods. As a result, the sticks lose their normal structure and cease to function fully, that is, a person develops night blindness.

Figure 3 - Rods and cones present on the retina.

The cause of congenital night blindness is a genetic mutation that is inherited. This mutation or breakdown in the genes does not lead to the development of severe congenital deformities, but only causes night blindness - a disease with which a person can live. And since night blindness is a disease compatible with life, a fetus with such a breakdown in the genes is not "rejected" by spontaneous miscarriage, but continues to develop normally. Often, night blindness is combined with other genetic diseases, such as Usher's syndrome or hereditary retinitis pigmentosa.

The causes of symptomatic night blindness are various severe diseases associated with damage to the retina of the eyes:

• Myopia of a high degree (myopia more than -6);
• Glaucoma;
• Pigmentary dystrophy of the retina;
• Chorioretinitis;
• Atrophy of the optic nerve;
• Siderosis (deposition of iron salts in the tissues of the eye).

Symptomatic night blindness is not an independent disease, but acts solely as a sign of another, more serious pathology of the retina.

Essential night blindness develops under the influence of various factors that cause deficiency or impaired absorption of vitamins A, PP and B 2. These factors may include the following conditions or diseases:

• Malnutrition, in which there is a deficiency of vitamins (A, PP and B 2) and minerals;
• Starvation;
• anemia;
• Transferred rubella or chickenpox;
• Liver diseases;
• Diseases of the digestive tract;
• Chronic alcohol abuse;
• Any poisoning (intoxication against the background of infections, poisoning with poisons, alcohol or tobacco abuse, etc.);
• Exhaustion of the body;
• Treatment with drugs that interfere with the absorption of vitamin A, for example, Quinine and others;
• Prolonged exposure to bright light.

For the development of night blindness, vitamin A deficiency is most important, since it is this compound that is the substrate for the synthesis of visual pigment. Therefore, the risk of night blindness is highest in people suffering from vitamin A deficiency.

However, essential night blindness does not develop immediately, since at least two years can pass from the onset of chronic vitamin A deficiency to the onset of clinical symptoms. This is due to the fact that the reserves of vitamin A available in the tissues of the human body will be enough for him for about one year, provided that this compound does not come from outside at all. However, in practice there are no situations when vitamin A does not enter the human body at all, so the reserves are depleted for more than a year and it takes at least two years for the formation of clinical manifestations of night blindness.

Night blindness symptoms

Regardless of the variety, night blindness is manifested by the same symptoms., however, their severity may be different. With night blindness, a person's vision deteriorates greatly when exposed to low light conditions, for example, at dusk, at night, in a room with a small number of lamps, etc.

With night blindness, the adaptation of vision is impaired when moving from a relatively bright room to a dark one and vice versa. This means that a person cannot orient himself for a long time and begin to see normally when he moves from one level of illumination to another. Moreover, this is observed both during the transition from dark to light, and vice versa, from a lighted place to a darkened one.

In poor lighting, a person's fields of vision narrow, and he sees a picture of the world around him in a very narrow frame, like through a pipe or a small window. In addition, a person ceases to clearly see the shape and size of objects, and also does not distinguish colors. Particularly bad in night blindness are blue and yellow colors. A person begins to notice that, in principle, he does not perceive colors correctly, since a violation occurs Purkinje effect . The Purkinje effect is the phenomenon of different perception of colors with decreasing illumination. So, at dusk, red colors appear darker, and blue, on the contrary, lighter. The overall picture is seen in dark, muted colors, there is a feeling of vision, as if in a fog.

In addition, with night blindness, insufficient sensitivity of the eye to light occurs, so a person needs very bright lighting to read or write. The need for bright light for writing and reading against the background of normal vision at dusk is the first sign of the development of night blindness.

Night blindness often causes a decrease in vision. This means that in normal lighting conditions, a person has 100% vision, and at dusk it drops by several units. On the conjunctiva of the eye with essential night blindness are found Iskersky-Bito plaques .

Poor vision in low light conditions can frighten a person and cause, ultimately, a fear of the dark. Especially often the fear of the dark against the background of night blindness develops in children with a congenital disease.

Diagnosis of night blindness

Diagnosis of night blindness is based on the characteristic complaints of a person. Based on complaints, the doctor suspects night blindness and then confirms the disease with certain instrumental studies.

To confirm night blindness and determine its variety, the following diagnostic studies are performed:

• Examination of the fundus. With essential hemeralopia, the fundus is normal, with symptomatic and congenital it looks like the pathology that provoked night blindness.
• Detection of the presence of plaques on the conjunctiva of the eye.
• Perimetry (narrowing of visual fields is detected).
• Adaptometry. A person looks at the bright screen of the device for 2 minutes, after which an object is placed on it and the time after which it becomes visible to the subject is recorded. The norm is no more than 45 seconds. With night blindness, a person sees an object on the screen later than 45 seconds later.
• Refractometry.

Night blindness - treatment

Treatment for night blindness depends on the type of disease. So, with symptomatic night blindness, the treatment of the underlying disease that caused the impairment of twilight vision is carried out.

The principles of therapy for essential and congenital night blindness are the same, however, their success and effectiveness are different. Congenital night blindness is practically not amenable to therapy, and a person develops a steady decrease in vision. Essential night blindness, on the contrary, responds well to therapy, since it is associated with a deficiency of vitamins A, PP and B.

The main treatment for essential and congenital night blindness is the intake of synthetic vitamins A, PP and B 2 . You should also introduce foods containing these vitamins into the diet. A diet rich in vitamins A, PP and B 2 in combination with vitamin supplements medicines, is the main treatment for all types of night blindness.

Vitamin A for the treatment of night blindness, adults need to take 50,000 - 100,000 IU per day, and children 1,000 - 5,000 IU per day. Riboflavin (B 2) adults and children should take 0.02 g per day.

Foods rich in vitamins A, PP and B 2 that must be included in your diet for the treatment of night blindness are as follows:

• Leaf salad;
• Greens (parsley, dill, celery, spinach, young nettle leaves, etc.);
• Cod liver (eat small pieces raw);

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

There is a 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, the perception of yellow, blue colors is impaired.

Night blindness - what characterizes the disease

Night blindness is a disease in which there is a deterioration in vision in low light conditions. The development of pathology leads to a decrease in the threshold of sensitivity of the retina to light. The level of visual impairment depends on the properties of the retina.

There are several types of night blindness.

1. Congenital. Manifested since childhood. It develops with failures of metabolic processes in the body, fermentopathy. The congenital form of pathology is characterized by a gradual deterioration in vision. Orientation in space is disturbed in poor lighting.
2. Symptomatic. It develops due to retinal dystrophy as a result of eye diseases. Pathology is accompanied by symptoms that are characteristic of a particular eye disease.
3. Essential. It occurs as a result of a deficiency in the body of vitamin A. This type is temporary. Appears with malnutrition, abuse bad habits, liver disease and gastrointestinal tract. For this form of pathology, the appearance of dark spots on the eyeball is characteristic.

The causes of this pathology

Various dysfunctions of the body can lead to a sharp deterioration in vision. The main causes of pathology are:

1. Osteochondrosis cervical. As a result of spinal deformity, there is a deterioration in blood circulation, oxygen saturation of the brain and optic nerve.
2. Vegetative-vascular dystonia. The disease occurs with chronic fatigue, sleep disturbance, stressful situations. Work failures occur nervous system, which lead to the appearance of dark dots before the eyes.
3. Hypertensive crisis. Sharp jumps in blood pressure cause damage to the lower retina of the eyeball, increasing its sensitivity.
4. Lack of vitamins A, P2 (bioflavonoids), PP (nicotinic acid) in the body.
5. Diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system.
6. Metabolic disorders.
7. Improper diet, alcohol abuse.
8. Eye diseases: glaucoma, myopia.
9. Retinal pathologies: inflammation, detachment, pigmentary pathology.
10. Diseases of the optic nerve.
11. Taking medications that 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

Night blindness can be either congenital or acquired. 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 beriberi is:

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

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

Avitaminosis leads to a disruption in the process of production and restoration of rhodopsin, the lack of which causes a deterioration in the sensitivity of the retina to poor lighting. A person who sees perfectly in the daytime becomes almost blind at night.

The patient is poorly oriented in space in poor lighting, there is a feeling of the presence of a foreign body in the eyes, dry eye syndrome develops, color perception is disturbed.

Symptoms of night blindness in humans

Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves depending on the causes of the development of pathology.

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

• fuzzy picture, the outlines of objects become blurry, fuzzy;
• the perception of blue, yellow color worsens;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the eyeball;
• dry skin, mucous eyes;
• keratinization of the skin;
• the appearance of ulcers on the cornea;
• increased fragility of nails, 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 the light during the day while reading, writing;
• a sharp deterioration in vision with a decrease in the brightness of light;
• gray spots on the conjunctiva of the eyelids;
• dark spots before the eyes.

A person who has a pathology of vision involuntarily changes his behavior. He becomes more careful, not in a hurry, avoids a sharp transition 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 dark, they have a growing sense of fear, panic. Children become restless.

Correct diagnosis of the disease

The doctor can determine the cause of the deterioration in visual acuity, prescribe an effective treatment by prescribing diagnostic methods. First, the specialist conducts a visual examination of the visual organs, a survey of the patient.

The main diagnostic methods include:

1. Visometry. The quality of vision is determined using the Sivtsev table. For young children, use the Orlova table.
2. Ophthalmoscopy of the fundus. Helps to examine the optic disc, retina, blood vessels.
3. Tonometry. The amount of intraocular fluid, intraocular pressure is measured.
4. Biomicroscopy. Allows microscopy of the structure of the eyeball: anterior chamber, iris, cornea, lens, fundus.
5. Optical coherence tomography allows you to determine the state of the retina.
6. Perimetry is performed to determine the size of the field of view.
7. Adaptometry. Helps to set the level of light perception. A flash of bright light is directed into the eyes. Then the time interval is measured to determine the level of adaptation of vision.
8. Electroretinography can detect retinal defects.

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

The risk 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 occur with pathology depends on the causes of its occurrence: glaucoma, optic nerve atrophy, retinal pathology, myopia.

In some, with the development of night blindness, psychological disorders are observed, because loss of vision, a sense of uncertainty negatively affect the psyche. There may be a fear of the dark, they are poorly oriented in space in poor lighting, often get into an accident.

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

In the complete absence of treatment, pain syndrome can develop, tearing 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 of the 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 methods of treatment.

1. Medical therapy. The patient is prescribed a course of vitamins A, B2, PP. The doctor also prescribes ophthalmic vitamin solutions and drugs for the treatment of a provoking disease. They contribute to the rapid saturation of the retina with vitamins.
2. Surgical intervention. With symptomatic hemeralopia, therapy consists in eliminating the underlying eye disease. Refractive surgery is performed when replacing the lens, skeroplasty. Myopia is corrected with laser correction. For the treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, trabeculectomy, trabeculotomy, phacoemulsification are performed. Retinal detachment is treated with laser photocoagulation.

In combination with traditional therapy, folk methods are used:

1. In 0.5 liters of boiled water, add 3 tablespoons of wild rose. The mixture should be boiled for 10 minutes, infused for at least 12 hours. The finished medicine is taken 1-3 cups three times a day. The course of therapy is 1 month.
2. Combine lingonberries, blackberries, primroses, raspberries, lemon balm, serpentine mountaineer root in equal amounts. Pour 350 ml of boiling water over a teaspoon of the vegetable mixture. Insist 1 hour. Ready infusion drink 1/2 cup 3 times a day.

Help speed up the healing process diet food. In the daily diet, it is necessary to include foods that are a source of vitamin A.

Proper prevention and prevention of the disease

To speed up the process of recovery, to prevent the re-development of the pathology, preventive measures will help:

1. Balanced diet. Include foods that contain vitamin A in your daily diet. These include: cod liver, butter, dairy products, eggs, fruits, berries, vegetables, greens.
2. Healthy sleep. It is necessary to observe the sleep pattern. Night rest should be at least 8 hours. Go to bed and get up preferably at the same time every day.
3. Moderate physical exercise. When playing sports, physical labor, it is necessary to avoid heavy physical exertion.
4. Walking on fresh air. Hiking on outdoors contribute to the saturation of the body with oxygen, the activation of metabolism, the general strengthening of the body.
5. Wear sunglasses. Eyes must be protected from bright sunlight, blinding light of car headlights. It is not recommended to look at the snow in sunlight.
6. Proper lighting of the workplace when working at a computer for a long time.
7. Observe the rules of hygiene. It is necessary to avoid getting into the eyes of a foreign body, dust, microbes. After visiting public places, walks in the fresh air, contact with sick people, pets should wash their hands.
8. Every day you need to drink about 1.5 liters of purified water. This volume of fluid contributes to the normalization of the water-salt balance in the body.
9. Timely treat colds, viral, infectious diseases.

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

Why is the disease so named?

Hemeralopia wears vernacular name chicken blindness. The disease got its 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 the elements with which a person has the ability to distinguish colors and shapes of objects. "Sticks" perform the function of light perception.

The retina of chickens consists only of "cones". Therefore, animals are not able to see in the dark. As a result of the development of pathology in humans, there is a deformation of the retina, in which dysfunctions of the "rods" are observed. As a result, a person loses the ability to distinguish shapes, colors of objects in poor lighting.

If you experience characteristic symptoms of the development of pathology, you should consult a specialist. Do not resort to self-medication.

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

Treatment with folk remedies

Alternative treatment of night blindness consists in the use of various decoctions, infusions and juices and other preparations from plants and products containing vitamins A, PP and B2, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the eyes.

So effective folk methods treatment of night blindness are the following infusions, juices, decoctions and gruels:

1. Mix 2 parts of blueberry leaves, linden flowers and dandelion (leaves, root and flowers), add 1 part of buckwheat and sea buckthorn leaves. Pour a tablespoon of the finished mixture of herbs with a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then insist in a warm place for half an hour, strain and take the finished broth one glass three times a day after meals.
2. Pour a teaspoon of the flowers of the field color plant with a glass of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Ready infusion take a tablespoon three times a day after meals.
3. Pour a teaspoon of blue cornflower flowers with a glass of boiling water and insist for one hour. Strain the infusion and take 1/4 cup three times a day half an hour before meals.
4. Pour one tablespoon of blueberries with a glass of boiling water and insist for four hours. Strain the finished infusion and take half a glass three times a day, regardless of the meal.
5. Sea buckthorn berries should be consumed fresh or frozen, two glasses a day.
6. Pour three tablespoons of sea buckthorn berries with a glass of boiling water and insist for half an hour, then strain. Ready infusion to drink twice a day an hour after a meal. You can add honey or sugar to the infusion to improve the taste.
7. Pour two tablespoons of leaves and tops of the nettle stalk with a glass of boiling water, insist for an hour, then strain. Ready infusion take 1/3 cup three times a day half an hour before meals.
8. Take juice from fresh carrots in half or a whole glass 2-3 times a day half an hour before meals. Juice should be prepared immediately before use and stored for no more than 30 minutes.
9. Blueberry juice taken diluted three times a day before meals. For each dose, you need to dilute a tablespoon of juice in half a glass of water.
10. Grape juice to take half a glass three times a day for half an hour before meals.
11. Germinate wheat grains, then grind them in a meat grinder. Pour a tablespoon of gruel from germinated wheat grains with a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for half an hour. Then insist 15 minutes, then strain. Ready broth to take 1/3 cup three times a day, regardless of the meal.
12. Fish oil take 30 - 40 ml three times a day; Eat a small piece of lightly fried beef liver every day.
13. Sea buckthorn oil take a teaspoon three times a day before meals. Before use, you should consult with a specialist.

Eye drops for hemeralopia

To maintain 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, facilitate the conduction of nerve impulses in the retina. The complex is prescribed for keratitis, iriditis, night blindness and conjunctivitis.

Drops are instilled one in each eye 2 times a day. Duration of admission - from 5 to 15 days. The drug is contraindicated for patients who have intolerance to the constituent components of Riboflavin.

Which doctor treats

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

5 / 5 ( 6 votes)

In essence, night blindness is a disease that occurs when there is a deficiency of vitamin A.

In medicine, this disease is known as Hemeralopia (synonymous with nyctalopia). The bottom line is reduced vision at dusk (as opposed to day blindness, when vision is reduced in daylight conditions).

The name “night blindness” was given to the disease due to the similarity of the clinical picture with chicken vision: these birds distinguish various colors well, but practically do not see the dark.

Three forms of night blindness

1. congenital hemeralopia. The pronounced hereditary nature of the disease is noted. It manifests itself early - in childhood or adolescence. There is a significant decrease in twilight vision and a persistent decrease in dark adaptation. The reason is that in such patients, the so-called retinal rod photoreceptors are sharply reduced, and in rare cases there may be no light-sensitive cells in the fundus; as a result, a person sees significantly worse at dusk and in the dark.
2. Essential hemeralopia. Its cause is a decrease or insufficient intake of vitamin A (aka retinol), or a violation of its assimilation. Normally, it is part of the photosensitive substance of the retina (photosensitive pigment rhodopsin), which, among other things, determines the adaptation of vision to darkness; therefore, retinol is considered the vitamin "responsible" for vision. The cause may be a violation of the general nutrition during fasting, "metabolic" diseases, liver disease, alcoholism, neurasthenia. In such cases, there will be a deterioration in spatial orientation, as well as an improvement in the perception of some colors, especially blue and yellow. In most cases, essential hemeralopia is temporary and can be corrected.
3. Essential hemeralopia is characterized by a narrowing of the visual fields, especially in yellow and blue colors. The prognosis of essential hemeralopia in most cases is favorable if the patient complies with all measures for treatment and prevention. When examining changes in the fundus is not determined. On the cornea, xerotic plaques, areas of necrosis or keratomalacia may appear.
4. Symptomatic hemeralopia. In this case, hemeralopia is a manifestation of some other disease:
   1. develops in some cases with retinal dystrophy;
   2. at inflammatory diseases retina and choroid;
   3. with atrophy of the optic nerve;
   4. promotion intraocular pressure, glaucoma;
   5. complicated myopia;
   6. siderosis.

In these cases, along with signs of night blindness, the clinical picture contains symptoms corresponding to the underlying disease. The prognosis for this form of the disease will correspond to the prognosis for the underlying disease that caused retinol deficiency. In the fundus, changes are found that are inherent in the underlying disease.

With a sufficient level of retinol, a person sees quite well, and does not notice any deviations. In the case of hypovitaminosis, A the following symptoms begin to disturb:

If a person notices one or more of the symptoms that are considered to be signs of hemeralopia, or vitamin A deficiency, you should seek advice from an ophthalmologist, who, based on the results of the examination, will be able to choose the appropriate treatment that can prevent the progression of the disease and improve the patient's condition.

It is noteworthy that in the daytime, with comfortable lighting, visual symptoms may be absent; the patient feels the deterioration of vision only at dusk.

It is important to understand that if a patient notices a decrease in vision, including twilight, in only one eye, then this is not night blindness, but some other disease. Such a patient should immediately contact an ophthalmologist for examination and finding out the reasons for the deterioration.

Treatment

congenital hemeralopia treatment, unfortunately, is not amenable to.

At symptomatic hemeralopia the specifics of treatment will depend on the causes of the disease; that is, the disease that caused hypovitaminosis A should be treated.

Essential chicken blindness amenable to treatment. The main goal of treatment for this type of night blindness is to compensate for the deficiency of vitamin A (both with food and in the form of drugs), in order to avoid the progression of the disease and further deterioration of vision or its loss.

If the lack of vitamin A is of a low degree, when the patient will be advised to follow a diet rich in food products, which are a source of vitamin A; this may well be sufficient. The following foods should be included in such a diet:

With a more pronounced lack of retinol and a more serious degree of night blindness, in addition to the "correct" diet, the patient will be prescribed vitamin A course in combination with vitamins B2 and PP, as they contribute to the best absorption of retinol.

Prevention of night blindness

• disease can be prevented by balanced nutrition, including products containing sufficient amounts of vitamin A;
• protection of the eyes from bright sunlight, for example, with sunglasses;
• optimal lighting of the workplace;
• care for the health of the eyes and the health of the body as a whole.

Most often, the development of night blindness is a consequence of disorders in the work of the retina and optic nerve. It significantly affects the quality of life of the patient and can pose a serious threat to his life and health.

The essence of the disease

Many are wondering what it is - night blindness? In short, this is a decrease in visual acuity in poor lighting conditions. That is, during the day a person has an excellent ability to distinguish objects and there are no complaints, and at dusk or in a room with insufficient light, the symptoms make themselves felt, erasing the outlines of objects, muffling colors.

The disease night blindness does not have any stages of development, it is equally common among both men and women. In the fairer sex during menopause, pathology is diagnosed somewhat more often, which is caused by malfunctions in the hormonal regulation of the body.

Kinds

In the disease, night blindness is divided into several subspecies, depending on what served as the impetus for its development. All species are united by a single symptom that comes to the fore - loss of vision in low light conditions.

congenital

A congenital disease in humans is characterized by classic symptoms. At the same time, it is inherited, and complaints of decreased vision at dusk are present in several generations in the same family.

Congenital pathology can also be a symptom of certain diseases, such as hereditary pigmentary retinitis or Usher's syndrome.

Essential

Many people are used to believing that night blindness is caused by a lack of vitamins. What kind of useful substance is lacking in the body, if there are corresponding complaints? Most often, we are talking about a deficiency of vitamin A. Additionally, the appearance of the corresponding symptoms may be due to a lack of zinc, vitamins PP and B2.

If the main reason is lack useful substances, we are talking about the essential nature of pathology.

symptomatic

A symptomatic variety of night blindness is said to occur if its symptoms appear against the background of any pre-existing eye diseases.

It can be:

• tapetoretinal dystrophy;
• advanced myopia;
• sideroses;
• chorioretinitis;
• atrophic changes in the structure of the optic nerve;

False

False night blindness is not inherently a disease. It develops if a person overstrains his vision too much, being in poor lighting conditions, working for a long time with a computer monitor or other similar devices, performing small painstaking work that requires significant eye strain.

False-type pathology is fully treatable. All that a person needs to do is to give the eyes the opportunity to properly rest from stress, and vision will be fully restored. If you neglect the recommendations regarding the regimen, visual impairment can become persistent and irreversible.

Causes

The causes of hemeralopia are varied.

These include:

• lack of vitamins;
• many eye diseases, both congenital and acquired during life;
• hereditary factors;
• overstrain and stress;
• weakening of the body due to exposure to infectious agents;
• prolonged hunger;
• psychosomatic defect;
• anemia;
• pathology of the liver and kidneys;
• intoxication with various substances;
• long-term use of medications that affect the absorption of vitamin A, etc.

Many doctors believe that psychosomatics can play a role in the formation of night blindness. Such a defect is characteristic of people prone to tantrums and exaggerations of various kinds. It is also popularly called hysterical blindness.

Symptoms

The symptoms of night blindness are exactly the same in people, regardless of the cause that provoked the pathology.

A person will turn to a doctor with complaints that in the evening he began to see much worse than he had seen before. When checking vision, it will be found that the retina has become less responsive to light exposure.

Additional symptoms:

• decrease in color perception, especially bad patients begin to distinguish between simple blue and its combinations;
• narrowing of the visual fields - the patient sees this as the formation of incomprehensible spots on the sides of the usual viewing angles, some patients are able to recall horse blinders and draw appropriate analogies.

What is dangerous disease

Regardless of what the causes of night blindness are, the disease is considered dangerous.

Firstly, it may hide other pathologies, such as glaucoma or myopia. They without timely medical assistance can lead to complete loss of vision.

Secondly, drivers with night blindness at dusk can create dangerous situations on the roads. They no longer distinguish well between road signs and signs, which can cause an accident.

Thirdly, night blindness often causes internal discomfort, significantly reducing the patient's quality of life. In adult patients, there is a fear of becoming completely blind sooner or later. Children develop a persistent fear of the dark, which over time can transform into a mental disorder if night blindness is not treated in a timely manner.

Which doctor treats night blindness?

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

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made on the basis of complaints made by the patient, and a number of additional diagnostic studies.

• examination of the fundus to establish the presence of a connection between night blindness and another eye disease;
• determining the presence of plaques on the surface of the conjunctiva of the eye;
• detection of narrowing of visual fields using perimetry;
• adaptometry, in which a person, after looking at a brightly lit background, must see an object placed on it in a second;
• refractometry, which allows you to determine the refraction of light.

Treatment

Treatment methods for night blindness depend on the type of pathology. The congenital form is very weakly therapeutic, but to improve the patient's condition, it is possible to use the same methods that are used if night blindness is a consequence of a lack of vitamins.

In the pathology of the essential type, the patient is recommended the additional use of vitamin complexes, which include vitamins A, PP and B2.

It is worth sticking to a diet that will include:

• egg yolks;
• carrot;
• berries;
• millet;
• cod liver, beef.

Due to these products, the depot of vitamins will be replenished and their shortage will be compensated. In addition, doctors advise to observe correct mode day. The presence of vitamin E in the body can improve the absorption of vitamin A, and therefore it is additionally recommended to eat nuts, potatoes, seeds, broccoli. You can also use Riboflavin eye drops applied twice a day.

If night blindness is of a symptomatic origin, then it is necessary to deal with the treatment of the underlying pathology. The choice of therapeutic methods will depend on the nature of the underlying disease, and therefore in each case it is selected individually.

False night blindness does not require special treatment. The only thing the patient needs is a good rest.

Prevention

Prevention of hemeralopia is not difficult. A person is advised to eat right, in preventive purposes visit an ophthalmologist in order to diagnose and treat eye pathologies in a timely manner. If the work is connected with a computer, then it is important to observe a simple work and rest regimen so that the eyes can rest from the light of the monitor. Wearing dark glasses is recommended in bright sunshine or in places with heavy snow cover.

Night blindness, if not congenital, is most often treatable. All that is needed is to follow the recommendations of the doctor and, if the pathology is symptomatic, to treat the underlying disease.

If night blindness has developed and there is every reason to suspect that it is not false, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist. Timely identification of the causes and elimination of their influence will help to cope with the disease so that the quality of life of a person does not suffer.

Useful video about night blindness