The idea alone is frightening: sudden blindness in one or even both eyes! Experience is sometimes traumatic for those affected. In any case, medical help should be sought immediately. We explain why some people suddenly lose their eyesight.
What does amaurosis mean?
Amaurosis is the medical concept of blindness. People who own less than 2 percent of the eyesight of normal-sighted people and/or have a field of vision that is less than 5 degrees are considered blind. Blindness can be a congenital defect or occur in the course of life through diseases such as the green star or injuries.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 349,036 people are visually impaired in Germany, including 71,544 people who are completely blind. If you take a closer look at the figures of the Federal Statistical Office, it can be determined that the majority of the blind and strongly visually impaired people belong to the age group of over 75-year-olds.
In Germany, Amaurosis seems to affect people at the end of their second half of life. We present some of the causes of sudden or illness-related blind here.
Read Also: 3 Mistakes That Almost All Contact Lens Wearers Make
These 4 causes can be behind sudden blindness
Circulatory disorder of the central artery of the retina
Circulatory disorders in the eye can be noticeable by brief, temporary blindness. Occasionally it happens that blood clots come off calcified arteries and are flushed with the bloodstream over the carotid arteries down to the fine vascular wasteland of the eyes.
If a blood clot in one eye now clogs the retinal artery, it no longer reaches sufficient or no blood in the retina. There is sudden, pain-free blindness in the affected eye. Depending on how quickly the clot resolves itself, full eyesight can be regained after a few seconds or minutes.
Although temporary blindness is painless, those affected should definitely see a doctor. Only trained doctors can clarify the exact cause and initiate follow-up measures. Such circulatory disorders can be serious signs of an impending stroke.
Uveitis
With Uveitis, doctors refer to inflammation of the middle eye skin, which also includes the colorful iris of the eye. The inflammation of the eye can arise as a result of rheumatism or be triggered by bacteria.
There are different forms of uveitis in which different areas of the middle eye skin are inflamed. In many cases, the uveitis is painless. In addition to the reddening of the eye and visual disturbances with sometimes strong loss of vision, complications can also occur that can lead to blindness.
Diabetes Mellitus
If the body does not produce sufficiently or no insulin to transport sugar from the blood into the body cells with food, we speak of diabetes. Permanently high blood sugar levels can cause inflammation and changes in the blood vessels.
Diabetes can therefore have very negative effects on the retina. If the small blood vessels are damaged in the retina, eye diseases and visual disorders sometimes appear. In fact, diabetics are more often affected by visual disturbances and eye diseases than people without diabetes.
Untreated and not recognized in time, eye diseases can even lead to blindness in adulthood due to diabetes.
Retinal Detachment
The retina spans the entire inside of our eyes and has a variety of specialized nerve cells. These nerve cells register incident light and forward the sensory impulses via nerve pathways to the brain. In a way, our retina is an organic cinema screen on which bundled light is projected through the pupil. An intact retina is indispensable for seeing.
Due to genetic predispositions, unfavorable pressure ratios in the inside of the eye, or damage to the vitreous, the retina can be replaced in places from the eye background. This is noticeable through symptoms such as distorted views, flickering, visual field failure, and visual disturbances. If left untreated, a retinal detachment leads to the blind in the affected eye.
Post a Comment