Anisometropia: Symptoms, Treatment, Forms, Degrees, Causes

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Anisometropia

The content of the article:

1. Causes and risk factors
2. Forms of the disease
3. Disease stages
4. Symptoms
5. Diagnostics
6. Treatment
7. Potential consequences and complications
8. Forecast
9. Prevention

Anisometropia is a violation of visual function, in which the refractive error index (a defect in the refraction of light rays) is different for each eyeball. For a full-fledged vision correction in this case, it is necessary to use lenses not of the same, but of different optical power.

The refractive power of human eyes is never the same. But they talk about the development of anisometropia only when the magnitude of the refractive error reaches 2 diopters or more, since this leads to the loss of binocular vision. As a result, it becomes difficult for the patient to correctly respond to external stimuli and navigate in space.

With anisomitropy, the refractive error reaches 2 diopters or more

Causes and risk factors

Anisometropia is usually congenital; its development is due to certain genetic defects. That is why this violation of visual function is most often observed in members of the same family.

Acquired anisometropia is very rarely diagnosed and develops in patients with cataracts, iridocyclitis, or as a complication after eye surgery.

Forms of the disease

There are several types of anisometropia:

1. Axial. The length of the eye axes is different, but the refractive power of the optical apparatus of the eyes is the same.
2. Refractive. The refractive power of the optical apparatus of each eye is different, and the length of the eye axis is the same.
3. Mixed. Each eye of the patient has its own, different from the other eye, the power of refraction of light rays and the length of the eye axis.

Disease stages

Depending on the difference in refractive errors of each eye, anisometropia is of the following stages:

1. Weak (up to 3 diopters).
2. Medium (3 to 6 diopters).
3. Strong (over 6 diopters).

Symptoms

With weak anisometropia, binocular vision practically does not suffer; a person may not be aware of the existence of a pathology.

Binocular vision impairment is the main symptom of anisometropia

If the difference in refractive errors between the right and left eyes exceeds 2-3 diopters, then in the visual analyzer of the brain, the pictures obtained from different eyes cannot merge into a single image, binocular vision is impaired. As a result, a person sees objects as indistinct and vague, his orientation in space is disturbed, headaches and nausea often occur.

Diagnostics

Anisometropia is diagnosed based on the results of the study of eye refractoriness (skiascopy, shadow test, retinoscopy).

Treatment

Conservative treatment of anisometropia consists in the selection of corrective contact lenses or glasses. This method provides good results, but it cannot be used with significant degrees of anisometropia.

If conservative therapy is ineffective, they resort to laser vision correction. The named method is highly effective and safe, the operation is practically painless, and the recovery period is only 10-14 days.

Laser vision correction is indicated for significant degrees of anisometropia

Potential consequences and complications

With a high degree of anisometropia, the visual analyzer cannot combine the images received from each eye into a single whole. The central nervous system seeks to protect itself from such discomfort by ignoring the resulting image from the eye with the greatest refractive error. As a result, the visual functions of this eye gradually fade away, amblyopia develops, or, as this condition is also called, the disease of the lazy eye. Another complication of anisometropia is converging or diverging strabismus.

Forecast

With timely treatment, anisometropia usually does not progress. Conservative or surgical correction can restore visual acuity and prevent the development of complications.

Prevention

There are no specific measures for the prevention of anisometropia. When the disease develops, it is important to treat it in a timely manner.

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Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author

Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.

Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!