Electrophysiological studies of eyes in children

What is hardware vision treatment?

The human eye is a complex and sensitive organ.
A person receives up to 80% of information from the environment through the eyes. When perceiving the surrounding reality through the organ of vision, coordinated and complex actions of all structures of the eye and visual analyzers of the brain occur. If the functioning of the organ is disrupted at any level of the eye structure, the overall chain of communication and transmission of receptor signals to the brain is disrupted, which inevitably leads to deterioration of vision. Most often, this process of vision deterioration is quite long. And this is a positive factor for a clear diagnosis of pathology and vision treatment. Modern technologies that people are forced to use at work, at home, and in school: computers, smartphones, tablets, TVs, e-books, have a negative impact on the proper development of the organ of vision. These gadgets force the organ of vision to work in a limited space at a distance of several centimeters to several meters, which is not natural in the natural conditions of the animal world, which includes humans. As a result, the vision of most of the population decreases, especially in children. Children are the main risk group. Most often, vision deteriorates in childhood. As a rule, this is myopia. But progress does not stand still. Thanks to the development of medicine, the development of modern methods of diagnostics and treatment of vision, it is possible to restore vision in children in the early stages of identifying pathology, including with the help of progressive hardware treatment methods.

What happens under the influence of current?

During electrical stimulation of the optic nerve, a series of impulses act on the orbital tissue, which stimulate rhythmic muscle contraction and excitation of nerve fibers. With regular repetition of the procedure, neuromuscular transmission improves. Thanks to this, the muscles respond more accurately and quickly to impulses that come from the brain. The main effect is directed on the ciliary muscles, which are involved in the processes of focusing vision and ensuring its sharpness.

This allows you to restore friendly muscle function and eye movement, which is important in the treatment of strabismus. Also, the use of electric current has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, normalizing their tone and relieving spasm. This improves blood supply to the retina and the functioning of the organ of vision. In addition, it promotes better circulation of aqueous humor and normalization of intraocular pressure, which is important in the treatment of glaucoma.

The feedback activity of the retina and visual cortex of the central nervous system also increases, and the number of active nerve fibers participating in this exchange increases, which allows the brain to carry out greater signal processing. Ophthalmologists always take this into account when prescribing a procedure. The work of the sensory part of the eye, namely the rods and cones, which are specific photoreceptors of the retina, is also optimized.

In the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for processing visual signals, the number of active cells increases, facilitating more active data processing, and new foci of excitation appear. The use of electric current also has a beneficial effect on cellular metabolism, activating regeneration processes, which leads to improved membrane function, protein and collagen synthesis.

Thus, a reorganization of existing connections between the visual cortex and intermediate centers of vision and the eyes itself occurs, which increases the efficiency of the entire system.

There is a theory according to which certain active points are affected, which stimulates the activation of reflex arcs that affect the centers of vision regulation. In this case, the effect of electrical stimulation of the eye muscles resembles acupuncture.

Indications for the procedure are:

• Hypermetropia.
• Strabismus.
• Thinning of the visual part of the retina.
• Atrophic processes in the optic nerves.
• Ptosis of the eyelids.
• Amblyopia.
• Asthenopia.
• Myopia.
• Presbyopia.

An important advantage of the procedure is its safety - it can be prescribed to both adults and children. If it is necessary to prevent myopia, the course of treatment can be repeated several times a year, at certain intervals.

Methods for treating eye diseases

The advantage that children have over adults is that their growing bodies are able to restore vision much faster, with proper treatment. Treatment methods can be divided into two groups:

1. surgery;
2. therapeutic treatment.

To treat childhood vision pathologies, they most often resort to therapeutic treatment so as not to harm the growing body through surgical intervention. Therapeutic treatment can completely restore vision or stop the active progression of the disease.

Therapeutic treatment methods include the following types of hardware treatment:

• magnetic therapy;
• electrical stimulation;
• laser therapy;
• ultrasound therapy;
• photostimulation;
• devices for relaxing the eye muscles - ophthalmic relaxants;
• color therapy;
• ophthalmochomotherapy;
• computer treatment;
• medoptics (device "Rucheek");
• massage glasses.

What diseases are treated with hardware treatment?

Some diseases that can be treated with hardware treatment:

1. Impaired binocular vision;
2. Strabismus;
3. Amblyopia;
4. Asthenopia;
5. Spasm of accommodation;
6. Postoperative period;
7. Partial atrophy of the optic nerve;
8. Dystrophy of the fundus of the eye;
9. Farsightedness;
10. Myopia;
11. Astigmatism;
12. Computer syndrome.

Types of myopia

As mentioned above, myopia can be low, medium and high. Ophthalmologists also distinguish between false and true myopia. The latter refers to a number of pathological conditions in which organic damage to the eyeball, cornea or lens occurs. It can be congenital or acquired. Without timely elimination of the cause, true myopia can progress. False myopia is a spasm of accommodation of the eye, which appears from overstrain of the visual organs. The spasm can be eliminated if its cause is identified (long work at the computer, improperly equipped place to study, poorly lit room, scoliosis, etc.) and preventive measures are carried out on a regular basis. Myopia can be hereditary or acquired. The presence of the latter species is influenced by all of the above environmental factors. They also include vitamin deficiency, primary weakness of accommodation, and trauma.

Duration of hardware treatment

Hardware treatment methods are an additional therapy as part of the complex treatment of ophthalmological diseases.

Treatment takes place on an outpatient basis, without interruption from the child’s established life schedule.

To obtain an effective result from hardware treatment, as a rule, a course of 10-20 days is prescribed. This figure may vary depending on the severity of the pathology. This course must be taken at least twice a year, for several years.

Session duration is from 40 to 90 minutes. On average, five different devices are prescribed. In the middle of the course, it is necessary to consult with the attending ophthalmologist for timely course correction. At the end of the course, the patient undergoes a comprehensive diagnosis to assess the effectiveness of treatment and prescribe repeated courses.

Hardware treatment for children is an entertaining procedure; as a rule, it is completed with pleasure, without stress. Most children find the procedure interesting and exciting.

Along with physiotherapeutic devices, children train using software systems that include cartoons and fairy tales. For the youngest patients (preschool age), this procedure is a memorable, vivid experience.

If the patient is completely cured thanks to hardware treatment, then it is necessary to regularly undergo preventive courses, since the organ of vision is fully formed by the age of 22-24.

Procedure

Therapy is carried out only under the supervision of a specialist. Before starting work, a comprehensive diagnosis is carried out, on the basis of which the strength and intensity of the impact is selected. Electrical stimulation algorithm:

1. A set of eye exercises is performed to prepare the analyzer for exposure. The most effective exercises for improving vision with farsightedness are collected here.
2. The patient is seated in an equipped comfortable chair.
3. One electrode is attached to the hand, the second must be applied to the outer edge of the eyelid on a closed eye.
4. After preliminary instructions, the device is turned on with preset parameters.

For children, preparing for the first procedure and explaining the instructions takes more time to avoid fear and other unwanted reactions. For young patients, the presence of adults in the office is a mandatory requirement. On average, electrical stimulation of the eyes lasts from 10 to 20 minutes, the course of therapy itself takes 7-10 days. For severe pathologies, several courses are recommended at intervals of 2-3 months. Orthoptics – what it is, you can find out by following the link.

To enhance the effectiveness of electrical stimulation, the diet is additionally adjusted, drops are prescribed, and an individual eye gymnastics scheme is developed.

Advantages of hardware treatment

— Hardware treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, without disturbing the patient’s daily schedule. After the procedure, the child can go to kindergarten, school, club, etc.;

— The treatment process is painless and interesting. Many procedures are in a playful way. During the procedure, the child can relax and rest;

— Obtaining the expected positive result without surgical treatment;

— Possibility of using hardware treatment for children under 5 years of age. The main condition is that the child can sit quietly and be involved in the process for the required amount of time. This is achieved through the personal presence of one of the parents near the child.

Hardware vision treatment for children

In our ophthalmological clinic you can make an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist (ophthalmologist) in Sevastopol and Evpatoria. Our highly qualified pediatric ophthalmologist (ophthalmologist), after conducting a diagnostic examination, selects an individual course for each small patient, depending on the state of vision and disease. Thanks to regular exercises on the devices, children's vision is significantly improved and maintained without any surgical intervention or drug therapy. The earlier classes start, the faster a more lasting result is achieved, and your child’s vision will be preserved for many years.

Tips for parents

• Regularly bring your child for preventive ophthalmological examinations in order to detect pathology in time, and if detected, control it.
• Complete the course of treatment prescribed by the attending physician in a timely manner and in full. The course may include not only hardware treatment, but also classical drug treatment, eye exercises, and diet.
• As a rule, the child is prescribed glasses for the duration of treatment. You need to constantly monitor the child, convince him of the need to wear them constantly and not take them off.
• Be patient, because the courses of treatment are long, and the positive effect may not occur immediately.

Therapeutic treatment using devices is completely painless and safe for children.

Pros and cons of hardware therapy for myopia in children and adults

Hardware treatment of myopia helps with varying degrees of myopia resulting from constant visual strain, exposure to negative professional factors and other reasons. Usually, with myopia, the eyeball becomes enlarged; the disease may be the result of an excessive refractive function (we are talking about refractive myopia). Find out about high myopia here.

The more pronounced the discrepancy, the greater the myopia.

Eye surgery is an effective solution to vision problems, but it involves certain risks and is not always well tolerated by patients. Hardware technologies become a good compromise if the degree of development of myopia is low, there are contraindications to the laser, and the patient is a child. Some methods give excellent results even with myopia +7.5 diopters and stop the progression of the pathology. Hardware treatment is suitable for children with congenital myopia, whose organs have not yet fully formed.

Hardware (therapeutic) ophthalmological treatment can be used to prevent eye diseases, as a component of postoperative therapy.

Types of hardware vision treatment

Today, an ophthalmologist has at his disposal a large number of various devices with different physiotherapeutic effects, many complexes and computer programs. Possessing a complex of technical medical devices, hardware and software systems, the ophthalmologist prescribes various most effective courses individually for each patient, depending on the disease and age of the child.

As an example, let’s talk about several devices and software systems:

• Computer programs recommended by the Research Institute of Eye Diseases named after. Helmholtz (Moscow, Russia). Treatment courses using the following programs: “Eye”, “Relax”, “Contour”, “Chibis”, “Blade”, “Accomodotrainer”, etc. help relieve visual fatigue, spasm of accommodation, increase the patient’s visual acuity and are effective for amblyopia, myopia , strabismus;
• Ophthalmomyotrainer-relaxator "Visotronic M3". For complex treatment of accommodation spasm, myopia, chronic visual fatigue, computer syndrome, asthenopia after refractive surgery;
• The hardware complex “AmblyokorTM – 01-ZrS” (read more here ) is intended for:
• Non-surgical restoration of visual acuity in all forms of ametropia: myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism. The devices are especially effective for severe forms of ametropia in childhood;

Treatment of all forms of amblyopia, strabismus and nystagmus without restrictions on the severity of the disease and the age of the patients;

• Rehabilitation of patients with organic forms of pathology (retinal dystrophy, optic nerve atrophy). The use of the method allows you to maintain visual functions at the highest possible level for this pathology;
• Presbyopia. The device provides an effective reduction in the rate of decline in visual acuity and stabilization of visual functions;
• Correction for unsatisfactory results of refractive surgery.

"AmblyokorTM-01-ZrS" is an ideal means of combating asthenopia;

In diagnostics, the synoptophore is used to determine the angle of strabismus (both objectively and subjectively), the available fusion reserves, the presence/absence of a functional scotoma, and the ability of the visual apparatus to binocularly merge images.

In treatment, synoptophore is used to stimulate the development of bifoveal image fusion, fusion reserves, improve overall eye mobility, and also remove manifestations of functional scotoma. The technique of use is simple, the device is accessible to children and adults.

Paired pictures are used, illuminated by special lamps. Alternately turning the lamps off and on allows the patient to focus on a specific image; switching of devices can be adjusted automatically or manually. When the patient focuses his vision on the pictures, the ocular muscles begin to develop more actively and become involved in the work process. Since muscles can change at any age, synoptophore is used to correct strabismus, including in adults.

During training, the load on the eyes is distributed evenly, so the development of complications is excluded.

To make an appointment for hardware eye treatment, call our numbers listed in the Contacts section

Treatment effectiveness

Long-term studies have proven the effectiveness and safety of regular systematic training on the Amblyocor simulator, which results in significant improvements in visual acuity due to the normalization of the activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. The advantage of this technique is that there is no need to make any effort on the part of the patient, since the basis of the technique is a conditioned reflex mechanism of influence that occurs unconsciously.

To achieve a stable effect, you need to undergo a course of treatment with a simulator, consisting of 20 sessions of 20-30 minutes each. Depending on the individual characteristics of the visual system, the severity of the pathology, as well as the use of other methods for complex therapy, the number of sessions may vary based on the patient’s needs. The effect is noticeable after the first sessions, but to achieve a stable result, a systematic approach is needed, which does not exclude regular repetitions of sessions after a certain time.

Patients with hyperopia of varying severity after a course of treatment with Amblyocor can see the symbols on the vision test table 3-5 lines better. In patients with myopia, the average changes in the Vis index range from 0.2-0.8 with a mild degree of 0.1 -0.4 – with average, 0.04-0.3 – with high degree of myopia. After a course of treatment for refractive amblyopia, the diagnosis was removed in 90% of patients. Dysbinocular amblyopia is cured in 60% of cases. With obstructive amblyopia, patients recover binocular vision in half of the cases after a course of therapy.

The device has no contraindications, does not cause side effects or addiction, and therefore can be used to treat children aged 4 years and older.
At an earlier age, it will be difficult for a child to watch a cartoon continuously for half an hour without being distracted from watching. The convenience of the complex lies in the ability to view any video material. Films can be used for adult patients, and cartoons for children. Fomenko Natalia Ivanovna