Blurred vision, loss of sight at times… Here are the main diseases which, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible blindness.
“There are hundreds of causes or diseases that can lead to blindness“, emphasizes Dr. Laurence Desjardins, ophthalmologist at the Institut Curie and director of the French Society of Ophthalmology. Here are the main diseases which, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible blindness :
1. Diabetic retinopathy
According to French Federation of the Blinddiabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness before the age of 65. About 1 million people are affected in France. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus that occurs when diabetes is unbalanced. This complication affects the retina whose capillary vessels are altered by hyperglycemia. This leads to microaneurysms, lesions at the back of the eye or even retinal hemorrhages which can lead to blindness. We thus observe a visual field impairment and decreased visual acuity making reading, movement and orientation difficult. “The treatment is carried out by laser photocoagulation or through intravitreal injections. If this is not done, then there is a risk of total retinal detachment. When caught on time and cared for energetically from the start, we can manage to stabilize the vision.”
2. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease due to damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve, which starts from the retina, carries images to the brain. The lesions can be accentuated in case of elevation of the internal pressure of the eye. In the case of glaucoma, the narrowing of the visual field is slow and progressive. The disease is insidious and painless except in cases of acute glaucoma where severe pain with headaches appear. There are two types of chronic glaucoma:
► Chronic open-angle glaucoma : This form is the most common and most often affects both eyes simultaneously. This type of glaucoma is due to a progressive obstruction of the aqueous humor evacuation filter. The loss of vision is slow and painless. “That is why we must Regularly check eye pressure from the age of 50 especially if there is a history of glaucoma in the family.”
► The chronic angle-closure glaucoma : This form is much rarer and is due to an abnormality in the anatomy of the eye. This prevents the evacuation of the aqueous humor which remains blocked behind the iris and sticks to the cornea. The pressure in the eye increases rapidly and sharply and a sudden pain is often felt by patients. It is important to consult a specialist urgently.
In order to slow the progression of glaucoma, three types of treatment are possible: eye drops, laser or, ultimately, the surgery to create a new escape route for aqueous humor to maintain normal pressure in the eye.
3. Cataract
Most of the time, cataracts are due to age. With aging, the lens becomes cloudy. It can also occur after trauma such as an eye contusion or a puncture wound to the eye. Cataract is characterized by progressive loss of vision. The patient then sees blurry and becomes sensitive to light. Loss of color vision subsequently occurs. Reading, seeing faces becomes difficult but peripheral vision does not change, allowing the person to live independently. “Blindness mainly occurs in developing countries that do not have access to surgery“, specifies Dr. Laurence Desjardins. In France, 600,000 operations take place each year. This consists of replacing the natural lens with an artificial lens. Without this operation, which is the only treatment, the opacification of the lens is progressive and can cause blindness.
4. Retinoblastoma
► The bilateral retinoblastoma. This is a very rare retinal cancer that affects children : 1 case per 17,000 births. “In babies from 0 to 3 years old, this initially manifests as strabismus and a white reflection in the pupil. This can be noticed by taking a photo with the flash: one of the pupils is then orange (normal eye) and the one that is sick appears white“, explains the ophthalmologist. In 60% of cases, retinoblastoma is unilateral, and in 40% it is bilateral.”In the bilateral forms, we usually manage to preserve the eyes and the vision thanks to the treatments but some very advanced forms can lead to blindness.”
► The pigmentary retinopathy. It affects approximately one in 3,500 people. It usually occurs between 10 and 30 years old and causes variable visual impairment. Some severe forms can cause blindness. “THE hereditary optic neuropathies and congenital glaucoma can also lead to blindness” adds our interlocutor in conclusion.