Can a person’s eye leak and what to do if there is a problem?
Eye leakage can occur for various reasons.
Most often this occurs as a result of injury. In this case, the sclera of the eye often ruptures and hemophthalmos occurs, in which the vitreous body fills with blood. But traumatic injuries are not the only reason that can lead to this pathological condition. The eyeball can withstand strong impacts due to the fact that it consists of ⅔ vitreous humor. But, nevertheless, it is not always possible to save the organ of vision. So in what cases can an eye leak?
Why might an eye leak?
As a result of mechanical stress, the integrity of the organ often suffers. Due to damage, eye leakage is possible. The mechanism for the development of such a pathological phenomenon is caused by a violation of the integrity of the membranes of the eyeball or an increase in intraocular pressure due to injury.
As a result, the iris and lens shift posteriorly and rupture. In this case, the shock wave travels to the posterior pole of the organ of vision and then returns forward, which causes damage to the ocular structures. The eye can drain for several reasons.
The main factors in the development of this pathological condition are:
- blow to the temporal lobe;
- kick in the nose;
- penetration of branches into the visual organ;
- eye injury from wire;
- ingress of chips when sawing;
- chemical burns;
- damage from animal claws;
- work injuries;
- damage during sports training;
- injury due to compression;
- abscesses;
- inflammatory processes.
Childhood injuries can cause complications even in adulthood and significantly worsen the condition and impair vision.
In case of injury, pain can have varying degrees.
Sometimes pain when the integrity of an organ is damaged may be less noticeable. If there are cutting injuries or gouging out of the eyes, external deformations and damage to the organ are clearly visible. Most often, eye leakage is accompanied by:
- unbearable sharp pain;
- deterioration of visual function;
- swelling;
- discomfort in bright light;
- difficult to open the eye;
- bruise.
Other cases
There are other conditions under which the eyeball can leave the orbit and still remain intact. Some people may also call this condition eye leakage.
Why this might happen.
A growth in the orbit or along the optic nerve physically increases pressure in the orbit and pushes the eyeball outward.
The danger is posed by both the tumor itself and the fact that the blood vessels and optic nerve in this case experience tension and tension, which can gradually lead to their atrophy, and the extraocular muscles are pinched and cannot perform their function. Without the ability to lubricate it with tear fluid, the covering of the eyeball will become inflamed and feel dry.
Physiology
The peculiarity of connective tissue in some people makes the ligaments of the eyeballs very elastic.
They are likely to “prolapse” the eyeball due to strong intracranial pressure, sneezing, or trying to exhale with an open mouth.
Shallow eye sockets and overly flexible eyelids also make it easier for the eyes to come out of their sockets. Some people can control this process and “roll out” their eyes on purpose.
What to do if the eye is intact, but has come out of its orbit? Look down. Press and pull the upper eyelid with the thumb and index finger of one hand.
Use your other fingers to push the eyeball, touching only the insensitive sclera (the white part of the eye), towards the back, while continuing to hold the eyelid. The eyeball should be back in place. Try looking up.
If everything is done correctly, your eye will rotate normally in the socket under the eyelid.
In more severe cases, this manipulation is performed by a doctor, and the eyeball is secured in place using special staples or a suture.
The patient receives pain relievers, anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, antibiotics, and lubricating drops or gels to moisten the cornea.
A person's eye leaking is a cause for concern. Sometimes things are not so fatal. For example, there is often a discharge of pus or blood from the eye area. Such consequences pose a threat to the integrity of the visual organ, so you should visit an ophthalmologist. But before the examination, it is better to take certain actions to preserve your health.
How to understand that the eye is leaking?
Leakage of aqueous humor from the eye can be confused with other ophthalmic discharges:
The substance released when the eye leaks is very similar to tears.
If the visual organ leaks, the liquid is as clear as tears, but has a thicker consistency. If there are patches of yellow or red in the discharge, this means that there is bleeding or an abscess opening. Any discharge is a special indication for consulting a doctor.
Chemical burn to the eye
A chemical burn to the eye is also a common hazard that can cause eye leakage. The most harmful substances are alkalis and acids.
If they get into your eye, the very first thing to do is rinse it under a strong stream of water. Next, you need to call an ambulance as quickly as possible and wait for the doctor to arrive.
The specialist will conduct an examination, prescribe treatment, and also take an image to find out how badly the visual organ is damaged.
What to do: first aid
After an injury, immediate response is important. The more time passes when the organ of vision leaks, the less likely it is to maintain its functionality. If a sharp object hits the eyeball, it is recommended to stop moving the affected organ. If the foreign body is straight and without uneven shape, it is recommended to carefully and slowly remove it yourself.
After removing the object, the eyelids are closed and movements are recommended to be avoided. It is important to tilt your head back if you cannot take a horizontal position. But in the case of a hook-shaped object or a stick with knots, you should immediately consult an experienced doctor.
If possible, apply a bandage and immediately call an ambulance or go to the clinic. During the trip, it is important to take a horizontal position. This way the flow will be slower and there will be a little more time.
Refusal to seek medical attention for any damage to the visual organs can significantly worsen the condition, even if the injury immediately appears insignificant.
In case of all eye injuries, you should not rub the damaged organs with your hands.
What actions should I take?
After a ridiculous incident has occurred and the membrane of the eye has been damaged, there is no time to hesitate. An ambulance must be called immediately.
If the eye leaks, a lengthy operation will be required, which does not always end successfully. It happens that the lens has to be removed.
An artificial organ, of course, will not replace a real one, but with its help a person is returned to his normal appearance. However, this procedure is not cheap.
If an eye leaks at home, and the victim does not want to call for help, then he may lose his visual organ completely. If bruises and contusions form, you should also not let the situation take its course.
The recovery period after surgery can last several years. Vision does not return completely. Therefore, it is necessary to remember: if your eye leaks, only an experienced ophthalmologist knows what to do. But, most likely, the only solution will be to make a prosthesis.
It often happens that an eye injury occurs in the forest, in nature. What first aid should be provided to the victim and how to avoid serious consequences in case of such injuries.
This is what I will talk about today. How to behave if, God forbid, something damages your or your loved one’s eye.
Do not rub!
To begin with, it is important to always remember an important rule. Never rub your eye if it is injured.
The most sensible thing to do in case of injury is to put a bandage on the eye. If it is possible to remove an object that has gotten into the eye, do it carefully and slowly. If it is not possible to remove the foreign body, then you should close the eyelid and not rotate the eye. That is, try to look less in different directions. Choose the position in which the eye feels the least interference and visit a doctor.
Sharp object in the eye
I write in such detail about the technique because many people are completely careless about eye damage. We recently had an incident on the river. The man was fishing. The wind rose, and he was casting a fishing rod. Accidentally, a gust of wind hit him in the eye.
The poor fellow began to pull out the hook and, as a result of his careless action, his eyes leaked out. This could have been avoided. Be a man more aware of the mechanics of the eye. There is liquid inside, that's what leaked out. All. As a result, he lost his organ of vision.
In this case, you do not need to drag the hook, but cut the line. Apply a bandage and go to the hospital immediately. The main rule is that if something is stuck in your eye, you cannot drag it!
An eye leaked from the blow
Here is another example from our life. A man was working on a car in the garage. Some kind of spring jumped out and hit me in the eye. The man did not attach much importance to the injury. Well, nothing hit and that’s okay. A bruise is a bruise. And until the evening he rummaged in the car. As a result, by evening the eye slowly leaked out. And he thought that tears were oozing from the blow... Such terrible stories.
If you have an eye injury, visit a doctor as soon as possible
Don't expect it to go away on its own. Apply an eye patch and by car, visit the hospital. You can't go on your own! You must take a horizontal position and wait for the doctor to arrive. In the car you need to tilt your head back.
If sand, cement, dust gets into your eye
In this case, you urgently need to rinse your eye with water, maybe mineral water or even beer if you have nothing else at hand. Of course, you shouldn't do this with vodka. Cement or lime that gets into the eye can corrode the eye membrane. A thorn may appear. Therefore, it is necessary to wash it urgently. This means both beer and mineral water will do.
Source: https://AptekaTamara.ru/glaza-simptomy/vykolot-glaza.html
How a person's eye leaks
The eye can leak as a result of traumatic injury, as well as purulent melting as a result of infectious lesions.
Eye leakage is the most dangerous injury to the visual system.
Its consequences can be very diverse. If the eye is damaged, first emergency aid is important, and the sooner it is provided, the higher the likelihood of restoration of visual function.
How does leakage occur?
The integrity of the organ of vision suffers due to intense mechanical stress. When mechanical stress occurs or increases eye pressure, the iris and lens shift.
The main factors in the development of eye leakage are:
- blow to the temple;
- blow to the nose;
- branches getting into the eye;
- wire injuries;
- ingress of chips during carpentry work;
- burns from chemicals;
- eye damage from animals;
- injuries at work;
- injury during sports competitions;
- squeezing of the eye;
- inflammatory phenomena.
The pain during eye leakage may be more or less noticeable. Other signs of eye damage:
A person can understand that his eye is leaking by the fact that after an injury, aqueous humor flows out of it. It can sometimes be confused with a tear. However, aqueous humor has a thicker consistency. Sometimes the released liquid takes on a yellow or red tint. This means that an abscess has opened or bleeding has begun.
The most dangerous eye leakage occurs as a result of exposure to strong acids or alkalis. The organ of vision gradually becomes soft and loses muscle tone.
First aid
In any case of eye leakage, you should immediately consult a doctor. The reaction must be immediate, because the more time passes from the moment of injury, the less chance there is of preserving the functions of the eye. If a sharp object gets into the eye, it is recommended not to move the eyeball. Only if the foreign body is straight and without irregularities can it be removed very carefully.
After removing the foreign body, the eyelids must be closed. Any movements should be avoided. It is important to place your head back, or even better, to take a horizontal position.
If a curved, hook-like object gets into your eye, it is important to see a doctor immediately. If possible, a bandage should be applied; it is important to remain in a horizontal position during the trip to the medical facility.
Treatment
After delivering the patient to a medical facility, the doctor may prescribe an emergency operation. Moreover, it can be long-lasting - it all depends on the nature of the injury and the condition of the organ of vision.
The lens or even the entire eye may need to be removed. Open wounds are disinfected and treated with hydrogen peroxide and chlorhexidine solution.
Compresses with wound-healing preparations are applied to the affected area.
After the operation, the victim is prescribed the following medications:
- painkillers;
- drops for lubricating the cornea and eyeball;
- regenerating gels;
- steroidal anti-inflammatory hormonal drugs;
- antibiotics.
If the eye leaks completely, prosthetics are performed.
If the eye is intact, but it has come out of its orbit, you need to first look down. Then you need to press and pull the upper eyelid using your thumb and index finger. With your other hand you need to gently push the eye, touching the sclera.
The movements should be directed backwards, holding the eyelid. In this case, the eyeball returns to its natural position. It is recommended to look up. If all actions were performed correctly, the organ of vision will rotate normally.
In serious cases, this manipulation is performed by a doctor. The eyeball is secured with staples or a suture. As additional treatment, the patient receives:
- anesthetic drugs;
- corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antibiotics;
- ocular tear preparations;
- gels for moisturizing the cornea.
Consequences
The process of recovery of the body after injury is quite long and sometimes lasts up to 5 years. There are no guarantees for complete restoration of vision. The preservation of vision depends entirely on the severity of the injury, the time during which the patient was brought to the clinic or to the emergency department.
It is easier to restore vision if a person has not developed a pathological secondary cataract due to injury. With a chemical burn to the eyes, the consequences can be the most catastrophic, because a person can completely lose not only vision, but also the eyeball as a whole.
Pathologies leading to eye leakage
Sometimes the described damage to the eyeball occurs for physiological reasons. Some people have a special connective tissue structure that makes the ligaments that support the eye more elastic. Under these conditions, the likelihood of eye loss increases with increased intracranial pressure, sudden and forceful sneezing, or an attempt to exhale forcefully.
Some people have too small eye sockets and floppy eyelids. Sometimes they can “roll out” the eyeball on purpose so that it begins to “fall out”.
The following pathologies lead to eye leakage:
- Endophthalmitis. With this disease, infection of the eye membranes and vitreous occurs. Infectious agents are introduced into the eye during a penetrating wound, if the rules of asepsis and antisepsis are not observed during surgical interventions. As a result of the active inflammatory process, a large amount of pus is formed, which permeates the tissues of the eye, and they melt.
- Tumor of the eye. As the tumor grows, the pressure in the eye structures gradually increases, causing them to experience tension. Their atrophy gradually increases. The muscles that move the eyeball are gradually pinched and cannot fully perform their function. As a result of all these factors, eye fluid leaks out.
- Eye burns from chemicals.
The following links provide interesting and useful information about leaking eyes:
A leaking eye is always a serious injury. The preservation of vision and the amount of medical care will depend on how early the victim sees a doctor.
Poor vision significantly worsens the quality of life and makes it impossible to see the world as it is.
Not to mention the progression of pathologies and complete blindness.
MNTK "Eye Microsurgery" published an article on non-surgical restoration of vision up to 90%, this became possible thanks to...
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Source: https://medrox.ru/raznoe/kak-u-cheloveka-vytekaet-glaz.html
When should you see a doctor?
In case of minor injury , when the integrity of the skin of the eyelids is not broken, there are no spots, wounds, or bleeding on the eye, you can cope with the injury yourself.
It is only necessary to periodically (every 3-4 hours) use antiseptic and antibacterial drops.
To relieve swelling, you can apply compresses and lotions.
If a branch penetrates the eye and gets stuck there, you should immediately take the victim to the emergency room.
Medical assistance is required in some cases:
- a branch hit a child in the eye;
- there are traces of injury on the surface of the eye;
- small particles remain on the surface of the eye or penetrate inside;
- the eyeball is red (hemorrhage);
- the branch remained in the eye.
Eye leakage: what could be the reasons?
The question of whether an eye can leak out worries many. A person with eye diseases is at risk. It may flow out gradually and this process will take a long time. Therefore, we manage to save him in time. This is a state of cloudiness resulting from a burn in which leakage may occur.
What could be the reason?
First you need to define the concept itself. The eyeball is firmly fixed in the socket. Moreover, the eye consists of 70% vitreous humor. It has a dense structure and is able to resist quite powerful impacts. This happens in two cases: extrusion, when the organ is completely removed from the orbit, and leakage, when it loses its density and integrity.
The reasons for these situations are different:
- The diagnosis will be made through traumatic exposure. For example, hitting a foreign object with force will lead to destruction of the internal organs of the eye. In this case, the blow can be directed not only to the eye itself, but to the occipital region or the sides of the head;
- Infectious diseases in rare cases can lead to organ removal. But the infection must develop so strongly that the internal bonds are destroyed and the eye will have nothing to hold it in the socket.
Such conditions are accompanied by clouding of the proteins and severe redness. As a result, it leaves the orbit. And this happens gradually. In fact, there will be an outflow |
- This can happen due to the poisonous effects of poisons, gases, and toxins. Once in the eye, they actually liquefy it, leading to the loss of all functions. The density of the vitreous body and internal ligaments is disrupted. Consequently, it will fall out while already in a liquefied state;
- People who have this pathology must place the organ back using a special technique. To stop this process, doctors use special staples. They attach the eye to the socket and prevent it from falling out.
Eye loss is always an emergency. This is not at all provided for by the structure of this organ and happens extremely rarely.
Hematoma
A hematoma is a bruise of an organ and is accompanied by hemorrhage and bruises around the orbit. Becomes the result of a strong blow with a hand or other object. Often a hematoma occurs as a result of an accident or work situation. In any case, the visual organ suffers, but it cannot cause the eyes to fall out. This only happens due to impact.
Tumor
An infection leads to a tumor. The main part of which is not capable of leading to the described consequences. They are successfully treated with antibiotics and therapeutic agents.
But some infections affect the vitreous body so strongly that it loses its density. As a result, part of the vitreous gradually leaves the orbit and layers on the lower eyelid.
This is a critical situation that is very difficult to stop. In this case, there is a simultaneous loss of function of surrounding objects.
Chemical burn
Contact with the cornea or conjunctiva of chemically active substances causes irreparable damage to health. This can lead to retinal detachment and loss of visual abilities. But organ leakage is also possible.
This occurs due to a change in its structure due to a chemical burn.
The eye becomes softer, loses muscle tone, loses the ability to resist the negative effects of toxins and cannot stay inside the socket.
How to proceed
It all depends on the situation that created the risk of losing the eye. For example, in case of shock, the condition of the organ should be assessed. It is important to understand which of its functions are damaged and which remain unchanged.
If the damage is not critical, then urgent surgery is necessary. The eye must be returned to its place and efforts must be made to restore its function. Intervention options may vary. It all depends on the consequences. For example, the retina is strengthened, the damaged lens is replaced with an artificial one, and so on.
If pathological prolapse occurs, the patient must learn to straighten the eye. It is necessary to pull the lower eyelid and place the prolapsed organ in its original place.
It is noteworthy that such loss does not in any way affect the quality of vision. It remains the same, the person also sees well. It is important to prevent final loss, that is, the development of a pathological process. This again requires surgery. During the procedure, the doctor will install staples that will secure the organ in the eye socket and prevent its further loss.
In the event of a chemical attack or the development of an infection, the picture of the threat will be completely different. So, the infection must be stopped by removing the tumor or taking antibiotics. |
If this succeeds, then it will be necessary to restore the functions of the organ. If this is successful and there is no developed glaucoma, then it is easy to restore vision. But with a chemical burn, the consequences will be catastrophic. It is rare that vision can be restored.
Eye leaked Link to main publication
Source: https://zdorovoeoko.ru/simptomy/vytek-glaz/
Leaking eye: causes of leaky pupil
Despite its natural strength and ability to withstand damage, the eyeball can sometimes leave its orbit. If a person has a leaky eye, such a condition is always preceded by good reasons:
- severe trauma to the visual organ (industrial, household);
- burn from an aggressive chemical;
- damage during sports training;
- a strong blow to the temple or nose;
- attack by an animal with sharp claws;
- complex ophthalmological disease.
If the patient has a serious pathology, the eye may leak gradually. In the presence of advanced infection, the internal attachment of the eyeball is destroyed at a slow pace. In addition, the vitreous fluid liquefies. If in such a situation you seek medical help in time, there is always a good chance of saving the organ and preserving visual function.
If the eyeball has suffered a severe blow or injury, it can be lost in a very short period of time. In patients with this pathology, severe displacement of the eye occurs, rupture of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue. As a result, the organ protrudes beyond the orbit, and it is not always possible to save it.
Sometimes the risk of losing an eye occurs under the influence of poisonous gases or toxic compounds. Having penetrated the eyeball, such substances deprive it of all normal functions and destroy the structure of the gel-like body. When in contact with dangerous compounds, the organ of vision, which has lost its natural density, falls out of the orbit in a liquefied state.
Patients who are on the verge of losing an eye or at risk of losing an eye always require serious medical attention. In many cases, correctly performed actions by doctors make it possible to preserve the organ, and with it the possibility of visual perception.
Eye injury
There is a possibility that the eye will leak when a traumatic foreign object (hard wire, shavings, etc.) penetrates into it. After this, the eyeball contracts and intraocular pressure increases.
If the integrity of the cornea is preserved, the eyes will not leak, but the cornea will swell and may become significantly cloudy.
If the integrity of the membranes of the visual organ is damaged, the contents of the orbit can quickly leave its limits.
To preserve the organ of vision when a foreign object penetrates it, you should abandon independent attempts to clean the eyeball. In such a case, you should urgently seek professional medical help. The doctor will help you safely remove the traumatic object and prescribe effective treatment to restore the eye structures.
Eye diseases
Leakage of the eye can occur against the background of some inflammatory diseases, among which endophthalmitis is the leader. The disease provokes inflammation of the internal structures of the eyeball and the accumulation of purulent masses in the vitreous area. Endophthalmitis is considered a dangerous disorder, the fight against which must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, with the prescription of strong antibiotics.
Rarely, leakage of the eye occurs against the background of relatively harmless diseases - conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis, meibomitis (barley). This can happen if the disease is very advanced and the infection has penetrated into the deep layers of the eye membranes.
Characteristic symptoms
Leakage of the contents of the orbit is not always accompanied by painful sensations. Basically, the following signs are characteristic of the pathological process:
- swelling;
- bruising;
- severe photophobia;
- difficulty opening the eye;
- significant deterioration of visual perception.
If a serious injury has occurred, leakage of the eye is indicated by the release of watery fluid, which can be confused with tears. Sometimes such a substance acquires a thicker consistency. The presence of a reddish or yellow tint to the discharge from the eye most often indicates bleeding.
When you receive a burn caused by contact with an alkali or acid, the eyeball becomes unhealthy soft, and the eye muscles lose their normal tone.
Features of treatment
After assessing the patient's condition, the doctor will decide on the most effective treatment options. If the situation and time allow, the patient will be given an eye scan before the main therapy.
The victim may be required to undergo emergency surgery, and the operation itself may become complex and lengthy. Operating options may vary.
Sometimes it is possible to restore visual function by strengthening the retina, restoring a leaky pupil, or replacing other damaged eye structures.
In some situations, it becomes necessary to remove the lens or the entire visual organ.
The most difficult operation is performed after a chemical burn to the eyeball. In most cases, when an organ comes into contact with aggressive compounds, it is no longer possible to restore vision.
At the end of the procedure, the wound is thoroughly disinfected with peroxide or chlorhexidine solution, and a compress with a wound-healing medicine is applied to the eye. After the operation, you will need to undergo a treatment course with medications prescribed by your doctor:
- antibiotics;
- anesthetics;
- drops that provide hydration to the eyeball and cornea;
- gels and ointments that accelerate regeneration processes;
- anti-inflammatory steroid hormones.
In cases where the eye has leaked completely, patients are recommended to use prosthetics to help hide the pronounced defect in appearance.
A condition accompanied by leakage of the eye is considered very serious.
After surgery for such a pathology, a long rehabilitation period is provided, taking at least several years.
The chances of restoration of visual function depend on the area of damage. If specialists manage to preserve part of the visual organ, the possibility of vision will always be present.
When faced with a serious situation when a person’s eye is leaking, you should not succumb to panic, but act quickly, while maintaining maximum calm.
After providing first aid in accordance with the described rules, you must urgently call a doctor.
Only in this case can we hope to save the damaged organ, as well as full or partial preservation of its functions.
Source: https://oculistic.ru/bolezni/drugie-zabolevaniya/po-kakim-prichinam-vytekaet-glaz
Angular conjunctivitis
Angular conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye (conjunctiva), which is caused by pathogenic bacteria and is localized in the corners of the palpebral fissure.
The disease is most often chronic, with periodic exacerbations. Having once suffered from this type of conjunctivitis in an acute form, a person does not develop specific immunity, so repeated episodes of the disease are not excluded. With timely diagnosis and properly selected treatment, the disease goes away quickly.
But at the same time, late detected forms of pathology (especially after attempts at self-medication) can have a protracted course and bother the patient for years.
Causes
Angular conjunctivitis develops due to the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria on the mucous membrane of the eye - Morax-Axenfeld bacilli.
Normally, the tear fluid, which the conjunctiva constantly produces, contains antimicrobial components, due to which the pathogenic flora that enters it is disinfected and does not provoke inflammation.
But with a decline in immunity and the action of other unfavorable factors, pathogenic microbes can cause the development of a local pathological process.
Infection with this conjunctivitis is possible in the following cases:
- when sharing towels or facial cosmetics that contain pathogenic microbes;
- when visiting the pool and sauna;
- in a beauty salon through the surface of poorly sterilized instruments;
- for mechanical damage and eye injuries;
- when washing your face with contaminated water.
Additional provoking factors are hypothermia, recent infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and old age.
Morax-Axenfeld bacilli can be transferred from one site of disease to another (for example, in cases where liquid discharge gets into the eyes when sneezing and coughing).
The peculiarity of these bacteria is that they are capable of causing inflammation only in the conjunctival area, and for other mucous membranes of the human body they are relatively safe.
Symptoms
The incubation period of the disease can be up to 4 days from the moment the pathogenic microflora enters the conjunctiva. At first, a person may experience mild pain when blinking and itching in the eyes, which worsen over time. Characteristic signs of angular conjunctivitis:
- burning and pain in the eyes;
- redness and looseness of the mucous membrane;
- itching and pain in the area of the outer or inner corners of the palpebral fissure;
- sensation of a foreign body in the eye;
- redness and cracking of the skin of the eyelids;
- mucous discharge of a thick consistency in a small amount.
In addition, during examination, the ophthalmologist may notice swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids, as well as redness and loss of skin integrity in the corners of the eye.
Due to the fact that waxy crusts can form on the mucous membrane, sometimes patients complain of decreased visual acuity. As a rule, this is a temporary phenomenon that goes away on its own after recovery.
When establishing this diagnosis, it is necessary to compare it with other forms of conjunctivitis, since the treatment of different types of this disease can differ significantly.
The pathological process most often develops in one eye at first, and after a few days painful changes are also noted on the other side.
In this case, the disease turns into a sluggish chronic form, which usually threatens long-term and difficult treatment. That is why, if any strange symptoms appear, you should seek help from an ophthalmologist.
He will conduct an objective examination and, if necessary, prescribe additional diagnostic procedures and treatment.
How is the disease diagnosed?
Diagnosis of conjunctivitis begins with an examination by an ophthalmologist and taking an anamnesis (that is, recording the patient’s complaints).
After this, the doctor usually performs a biomicroscopy procedure - an examination of the mucous membrane, cornea, iris, lens and anterior chamber of the eye using a slit lamp.
Thanks to the use of this optical device, it is possible to objectively assess the degree of damage to various structures of the eye and diagnose many pathologies.
To clarify the nature of conjunctivitis, in some cases the ophthalmologist may recommend the following additional examinations:
- bacterial culture of the discharged fluid from a diseased eye to determine the type of pathogen and select the most effective antibiotic;
- cytological examination of scrapings from the conjunctiva.
Since the bacterial culture takes quite a long time to prepare (about 7–10 days), usually the doctor, based on the examination data and the patient’s complaints, makes a preliminary diagnosis and prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics.
If the symptoms are very specific, the patient can immediately be prescribed highly targeted treatment. This is done in order not to waste time and improve the person’s well-being as soon as possible.
After the results of the study, therapy can be adjusted if necessary.
Treatment
In case of angular conjunctivitis, gauze bandages with ointment or medicinal solutions should not be applied to the eye area, as this can lead to keratitis.
Keratitis is an inflammatory process of the cornea of the eye, which leads to its deformation, ulceration and clouding.
This is a serious complication of conjunctivitis, which can allow infection to enter deep inside, and in severe cases, keratitis leads to the formation of a cataract and blindness.
In order to prevent the development of complications of the disease, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the ophthalmologist’s recommendations regarding treatment and not attempt to independently provide assistance (including folk remedies)
The patient may be recommended to rinse the conjunctiva with antiseptic solutions in order to mechanically wash out bacteria, cleanse the mucous membrane and inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora remaining there.
The following medications are used for this:
- nitrofural solution;
- weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- zinc sulfate;
- boric acid.
Zinc sulfate has pronounced antimicrobial activity against Morax-Axenfeld bacilli, so this medicine is often recommended for use not only for rinsing, but also for systematic instillation into the eyes.
To relieve inflammation, topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used. These include, for example, solutions of diclofenac and indomethacin.
Only an ophthalmologist should select the optimal treatment regimen, who will indicate the frequency of procedures and the necessary medications.
During the treatment period and until complete recovery, it is advisable for the patient to touch the eyes as little as possible (and do not rub them) so as not to spread the infection.
A person should have an individual towel and hygiene items, and before contact with other people, he should always wash his hands with soap to avoid accidental infection of others.
Prevention
General ways to prevent bacterial conjunctivitis are to maintain a high level of immunity and maintain good personal hygiene.
You only need to wash your face with clean running water, and if you have doubts about it, it is better to use boiled water for this purpose.
Face towels and bed linen should be individual and replaced regularly to ensure they remain clean.
If you have a cold, you need to wash your hands especially carefully after sneezing and coughing. It is advisable to avoid severe hypothermia and overheating of the body, since both of these factors negatively affect the immune system. In the autumn-spring period, you need to take vitamin and mineral complexes to maintain the body's defenses at a high level.
You should never touch your eyes with unwashed hands, as this can cause the development of not only angular conjunctivitis, but also more serious eye diseases.
After recently suffering from conjunctivitis, it is better to avoid visiting swimming pools, saunas and crowded places.
This is due to the fact that in the early period after recovery, the body may not be strong enough, as a result of which the likelihood of getting sick again increases.
When taking antibiotic therapy, you should not stop it earlier than the recommended period, even if the symptoms of conjunctivitis have already passed. This can lead to a recurrence of the disease and the development of many colonies of drug-resistant bacteria.
Timely diagnosis, further prevention and compliance with all recommendations of the ophthalmologist are the key to a speedy recovery and improved well-being.
Source: https://gsproekt.ru/bolezni/angulyarnyy-konyunktivit