Many elderly people feel that it is normal to see things blurry and to have poor eyesight when they are older, so don’t worry about it. However, if there is a problem with vision, it will directly affect life, and even make people unable to take care of themselves if it is serious. Recently, Aunt Huang in Guangzhou encountered such trouble.
Without any warning, her vision suddenly fell off a cliff
Aunt Huang is 83 years old this year and has been retired for many years. Except for basic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, her health is still good tough. A month ago, her vision in the left eye declined rapidly without any signs, and her vision became more and more blurred, so she hurriedly went to the Fundus Disease Department of Guangzhou Aier Eye Hospital accompanied by her family.
The visual acuity test showed that the uncorrected visual acuity of Aunt Huang’s right eye was 0.8, and the uncorrected visual acuity of her left eye was 0.3. The visual acuity did not improve after binocular correction. She was anxious and puzzled about this: “I don’t see dark spots, shadows fluttering, etc. when I see things, how can my eyesight suddenly become so poor?” After an auxiliary examination, the doctor finally found the problem: macular edema in the left eye, vitreomacular traction syndrome, and surgery as soon as possible.
Zhang Jinglin is visiting Aunt Huang
What is vitreomacular traction?
Before the operation, Zhang Jinglin explained patiently to Aunt Huang: “When people are young, the vitreous body in the eye supports the retina, allowing us to see things normally. With aging, the vitreous body changes from a transparent gelatinous substance to a liquid, becomes cloudy, and gradually separates from the retina. This separation process is like tearing off a poster attached to the wall, which may also bring the wall covering. Take a piece. Put it in the eye, that is, the retina (wall skin) is pulled when it is separated from the vitreous (poster and double-sided tape). In particular, the macula is the most sensitive part in the center of the retina, and it is closely adhered to the vitreous. Pulling will cause Decreased vision may also cause a series of fundus lesions.”
The purpose of the surgery is to peel off the posterior vitreous cortex and release the traction, so as to improve vision. And Aunt Huang has already developed symptoms. If it is dragged and left untreated, it is likely to become a macular hole, that is, the retina in the macula is pulled and ruptured and a hole is pulled out. If it develops further, it is retinal detachment, causing irreversible vision damage.
Then, Zhang Jinglin’s team performed left eye posterior vitrectomy + left eye partial retinal detachment + left eye vitreous drug injection for Aunt Huang to solve the problems of macular traction and macular edema. After the operation, it will take some time for the symptoms to subside. During this period, the aunt’s visual distortion will be alleviated, but it will not disappear completely.
OCT photo of Aunt Huang’s left eye
macular degeneration! Eye diseases that are easy to attack the elderly
According to reports, it is not uncommon for Aunt Huang in the ophthalmology department. The elderly are prone to various eye diseases due to aging eyes. Fundus refers to the inner lining of the eyeball, including the retina, optic disc, and macula. Fundus disease is a disease in this part of the eyeball.
“The macula is located in the central area of our retina. We see light, color, and the image of objects, all of which are closely related to the function of the macula. Macular degeneration is one of the three major blind eye diseases identified by the World Health Organization. First, the incidence of this disease increases significantly with age.”
Zhang Jinglin said that the disease usually has no symptoms in the early stage, and some patients will feel that the words are slightly deformed when reading books and newspapers. Can’t see clearly in dark places. If only one eye is affected, the patient usually has no feeling, and the other eye must be covered to be able to perceive the abnormality. In the advanced stage, a fixed black or gray patch appears in the center of the visual field, and vision may decline sharply within a few weeks or months, or even become blind. Vice President Zhang specially reminded that the elderly over 50 years old must seek medical attention in time if there is a significant decrease in vision. If there is no obvious change in vision, it is also recommended to check the fundus once a year. You can also use the Amsler table for self-examination at home.
Amsler Table of Macular Degeneration (Self-Exam)
Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome Symptoms:
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The eyesight has decreased, and a black shadow appears floating in front of the eyes, like a mosquito flying. If the condition worsens, the dark shadow will become like a spider web, and sometimes there will be a sense of lightning at night, which is clinically called “flash.” Some patients will also experience distortion and deformation of vision, and if the development continues, a dark shadow may appear in the center of the eyes, blocking the line of sight. When the above situation occurs, you should go to a professional eye hospital for examination and treatment in time.
Simple self-assessment: Observe the white walls and checkered windows to see if the windows and white walls are deformed, and see if the straight lines on the ground are still straight.
Written by: Nandu reporter Wang Daobin correspondent He Shuzhen