Causes of congenital astigmatism in a child. Astigmatism: what it is, causes, types, symptoms and treatment. Laser vision correction is a progressive treatment method

Congenital astigmatism is a visual defect up to 0.75 diopter, occurs in many children and is a functional type of disease and does not affect visual acuity.

But if the disease passes the mark more than 1 diopter, there is a significant decrease in vision, which requires appropriate correction.

Anatomical features of the eye with congenital astigmatism

Most often, astigmatism appears due to special structure cornea - the anterior one does not look like a ball with equal radii, like in healthy people, but a rotating segment ellipsoid, where each radius has its own length.

At the same time, the meridians of the eye have different individual refractions, which also affects the condition of the eyes.

These signs may cause a decrease far and near vision, constant fatigue and inconvenience when working with small parts.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the disease include:

cloudy or distorted vision;
increased photosensitivity;
head pain;
overvoltage eye if necessary focusing(reading books, working at the computer);
fast fatigue.

Important! Congenital astigmatism can be determined after the child reaches three-month age, therefore, if there are factors predisposing to the disease, the baby should be under the supervision of a specialist.

Causes

The main cause of congenital astigmatism is genetic factor - the disease is formed due to defects in the cornea of the eye structures responsible for visual acuity.

Corneal astigmatism

The cornea is a transparent epithelium that covers the entire front part eyes. In addition to conducting light rays, it protects the surface eyeball from bacteria and foreign bodies.

In people suffering from this disease, the cornea has twisted form - such a defect leads to incorrect focusing of rays (at two points at once).

The exact causes of corneal curvature are unknown, but if such a disease was observed with close relatives, there is a high probability of its development in baby. Also the reason irregular shape corneas can be considered a premature pregnancy.

Due to some anatomical features structure of the organs of vision (subject to normal refraction of light), the defect may disappear on your own.

Lenticular

Lens - natural lens, which is located behind the iris. A change in the shape or functionality of a given part of the eye leads to distortion of vision.

Lens type of disease can be caused by mechanical influence or pathological processes.

For example, cataracts cause swelling of the lens, and when arterial hypertension the filling of blood vessels changes, which leads to its distortion.

Ocular

This type of disease occurs very rarely. Appears with edema optic nerve, distortion of the ocular pole, orbit, etc.

Reference! Astigmatism may occur with pathologies, such as albinism, fetal alcohol syndrome, that is, plays an important role in the development of the disease health status and behavior of parents.

Diagnostics

In children up to a year It is very difficult to diagnose astigmatism on your own. During illness, the baby may be bothered tearfulness And redness eye. At an older age, the signs will be more pronounced:

baby will be bump into objects;
puts things down past the table, shelf;
squints when examining objects;
feels weakness and headache after long viewing pictures in books.

To determine the pathology, parents should contact ophthalmologist- an accurate diagnosis can be made already at age from three months.

If you suspect a deformation of the cornea or lens, the doctor will simple test— drops special drops into the eye and draws certain conclusions based on the reaction.

Children under one year of age diagnosed with astigmatism are carefully monitored by an ophthalmologist, after which they are prescribed appropriate treatment. When your child is a little older, you can be tested for autorefractometer, and also determine the degree of violation of the integrity of the cornea using computed tomography . In older children, the presence of a defect is determined using a special table.

Reference! Physiological astigmatism, with which most newborns are born, does not require correction and does not impair vision.

Treatment methods

IN modern medicine There are several ways to correct congenital astigmatism:

usage glasses or lenses;
laser correction;
surgical intervention;
gymnastics exercises for eyes.

Glasses and lenses correct light refraction defects. In the absence of contraindications, it is better to focus on lenses, since they can be selected to suit individual characteristics diseases and structure of the eye. Adjustment of this type effective with mild astigmatism.

Photo 1. Special contact lenses for people with astigmatism Air Optix, manufacturer - CibaVision.

Laser correction — modern method treatment of the disease, which is used for small defects eye structures (up to 3 diopters). Therapy is based on correction of corneal curvature. Laser treatment has a number of benefits, including:

painlessness procedures;
risk reduction damage to nearby tissues;
high efficiency.

Surgical intervention is carried out only when wearing glasses and contact lenses ineffective. The procedure is indicated for patients with high degree of ocular pathology, thin cornea, mixed type defect.

Regular eye exercises help improve metabolism, activate blood circulation and oxygen saturation of eye tissue.

Do rotating eye movements clockwise and counterclockwise V different sides.
Stretch your hand forward concentrate vision at your fingertips and slowly bring your hand closer to your nose, and then pull it out again.
Blink frequently and smoothly, and then close for a few seconds eyes and blink again. This exercise must be repeated several times.

Astigmatism is a pathological condition that occurs due to the irregular shape of the cornea or lens and leads to impaired refraction of light rays and a change in normal image perception.

U healthy person The cornea has a spherical, slightly elongated shape, and its ability to change the direction of rays is equal in all planes. With astigmatism, the refractoriness in different meridians of the cornea is different, therefore the image does not focus on the retina.

This is where the visual defect got its name, which is literally translated from Latin language, as “lack of focus” (“a” is a particle of negation, “stigme” is a dot). With this disease, there is no point at which light rays merge into a single whole; the baby sees a blurred, distorted picture.

In most cases, the disease is associated with curvature of the cornea; pathology of the eye lens in this disease is much less common.

Causes of astigmatism in children

Depending on the factor that caused pathological process, astigmatism is divided into:

congenital.

Genetic predisposition plays a major role in the development of the disease, and inheritance occurs not only from close relatives and parents. Visual pathology can occur in the case of isolated manifestations of the disease in the family. A baby is born with structural features of the cornea or lens, which later manifest themselves in the form of astigmatism;

acquired.

There are many reasons for the appearance of astigmatism in a baby: operations and injuries to the eye, leading to scar changes in the cornea and disruption of its shape, subluxation of the lens. It happens that visual impairment occurs due to pathology dental system, serious malocclusion. In this case, deformation occurs upper jaw, walls of the orbit.

Congenital astigmatism in children is much more common than acquired astigmatism; according to statistics, 98% of cases of this visual pathology are associated with hereditary factors.

The pathological condition has many varieties depending on the ability of the eye to refract light rays on the main meridians (perpendicular planes of the eye). Experts distinguish between direct and reverse astigmatism, depending on the vertical or horizontal location of the greatest refractive power, astigmatism with oblique axes.

In addition, the disease differs in the location of the meridians:

correct;
wrong.

Correct astigmatism, with a perpendicular arrangement of the main meridians, depending on the type of refraction, is divided into:

simple (refraction is broken in one of the meridians);
complex astigmatism (the same myopic or hypermetropic disturbances are recorded in both planes);
mixed (different refractions are found in the meridians, myopia is found in one of the planes, and farsightedness is found in the other).

In most cases, focus impairment is combined with other visual impairments:

in children.

In this case, the cornea is curved in such a way that the rays are projected onto the retina, as with. The baby sees distant objects worse than close ones, but all this is accompanied by astigmatic distortion.

Since this pathology in most cases is congenital, the child may not understand that he sees poorly. In this case, the signs of the disease are indirect; astigmatism is often detected during routine medical examinations, although the baby did not complain about poor eyesight.

hypermetropic astigmatism.

The combination of impaired focus and farsightedness leads to a significant deterioration in the child’s vision. The baby cannot see objects located close to him; difficulties arise when reading or looking at pictures at close distances. But images located at a distance also seem distorted and blurry to the baby.

Farsighted astigmatism for children under one year of age is considered physiological, and is associated with the structural features of the baby’s visual organs.

According to severity, ophthalmologists distinguish:

weak degree - change in vision does not exceed 3 diopters;
medium - from 3 to 6 diopters;
high – over 6 diopters.

Astigmatism: disease or feature?

People who have a focus disorder are not always aware of it. As long as the amount of astigmatism does not exceed 0.5 - 0.7 diopters, changes in vision do not occur. In this case, the person does not require special correction, and astigmatism is considered as a feature of the organ of vision.

In infants, astigmatism is considered physiological, and the presence of several focusing points of light rays is normal. The reason for this is the structure of the baby’s eye; a newborn is born with a convex cornea. The amount of astigmatism in a baby can reach 6 diopters, which is equivalent to severe pathology in an adult. Over time, the shape of the eyeball changes, and the severity of visual impairment decreases.

Astigmatism in an infant is not always considered normal; sometimes the condition may indicate a congenital pathology. To accurately determine whether the baby has a disease, it is worth showing the baby to a specialist. Doctor Komarovsky insists on early diagnosis eye diseases in children, and recommends visiting an ophthalmologist starting from the age of 3 months. In this way, the doctor will be able to track the dynamics of changes that occur in the baby’s organ of vision and identify the disease in time.

Symptoms of astigmatism

Parents will be helped to determine whether their child has a vision pathology characteristic symptoms, which are worth paying attention to:

head tilt. This symptom appears one of the first in a baby. To carefully examine an object, the child has to tilt his head at a specific angle. Thus, the baby intuitively selects the best position for correctly focusing the light rays;
squinting of the eye. Trying to see an object, the baby may squint one or both eyes, trying to adapt to the image. Parents whose children suffer from myopic astigmatism may notice that the baby approaches the object in question, closes its eye and tilts its head to the side. If a child has signs of farsighted astigmatism, the baby moves away from the object, maintaining a specific position of the head and squinting the eye;

visual fatigue. Guys often rub their eyes after watching cartoons or reading a book. Those who are older complain of pain and burning in the eyes after straining the visual apparatus. Signs of fatigue appear quickly, the baby needs rest more often;
disturbance of well-being. The child may feel weakness, dizziness, and headache when there is strain on the organ of vision. All this affects general condition child and the pace of his nervous mental development;
learning difficulties. It is very difficult for a child to fix his eyes on objects for a long time, to remember letters, the baby becomes whiny, does not want to study, and conflicts arise with parents. When trying to educate a child with a complex pathology, significant difficulties arise. The picture that a child sees may be blurry, smeared, or elongated. Of course, in this case there can be no question of the child’s academic performance.

Should astigmatism be treated?

Parents often ask the question: “Will astigmatism go away on its own, and is this disease treatable in children or not?” It is impossible to answer these questions unequivocally; it all depends on the age of the child and the severity of the pathological condition. It happens that a slight visual impairment passes without a trace and does not entail any consequences, but sometimes the disease develops into severe form and leads to serious complications.

Parents should understand that the question of the need and extent of astigmatism therapy is decided by an ophthalmologist individually for each child. Children under one year of age most likely will not need any treatment; it will be enough to simply come for examination regularly and monitor the function of the organ of vision. For older children, the doctor will advise correcting the pathology using conservative methods. Surgical treatment Suitable only for adults, after 18 - 20 years of age.

Experts believe that astigmatism is more likely pathological condition, a “refractive error of the eye” than a disease. But this problem entails serious troubles for child's body. Therefore, doctors advise correcting astigmatism as early as possible, when the first symptoms of visual impairment appear.

Complications of astigmatism

Even a slight deviation in the shape of the cornea or lens leads to the appearance of several focal points and impaired stereoscopic vision. The baby develops strabismus, due to which the child constantly feels tension and rapid eye fatigue. In addition, strabismus is often the cause psychological problems in a growing baby.

The baby's vision progressively deteriorates, and it becomes difficult for the child to perceive school curriculum. A banal reading of a book can cause headaches and pain in the eyes, weakness, and irritability in a child. Problems often arise with teachers and peers who do not understand the child’s characteristics.

The most dangerous complication is considered to be amblyopia, “lazy eye”. In the case of long-term uncorrected astigmatism, the visual analyzer located in the brain ceases to recognize the image obtained from the damaged eye. When an eye disease is eliminated, the child’s vision does not return, since the pathological process entails changes in the child’s brain.

Treatment of astigmatism in children

Correction of astigmatism in children is most often carried out using glasses and contact lenses. It is important for parents to understand that conservative therapy Astigmatism will not completely rid the baby of the disease, but it will slow down the progression of the pathology and improve the child’s vision and quality of life.

Special glasses

Glasses are the simplest, cheapest and safest way to correct vision for astigmatism. They are selected individually, after full examination little patient. In some cases, it is necessary to make custom optics to create optimal conditions for focusing light rays on the retina and correcting vision.

In the first week after choosing glasses, the child may complain of a headache; this is due to adaptation visual analyzer to a new operating mode. But if the symptom persists for a longer period, you should consult a doctor.

Many parents are faced with the problem of children's reluctance to wear glasses. You need to be tolerant and understanding towards the child, because this can be a difficult psychological moment for the baby. Moms and dads should encourage the baby and try to choose a comfortable and beautiful pair of glasses.

Contact lenses

For older children, another method of vision correction is suitable - the use of contact lenses. An ophthalmologist will help you select the necessary product after a thorough examination of the child. Modern lenses are easy to use, especially for active children, and perfectly correct vision. Disadvantages include the need regular care for the product, the use of special solutions and periodic change of lenses.

One of the methods for correcting astigmatism in children is orthokeratology - wearing hard contact lenses. This method may be suitable for children who categorically refuse to wear glasses or wear daily contact lenses. Distinctive feature This method involves using a vision-correcting product only at night. The lens is made in such a way that it can temporarily change the curvature of the cornea and improve vision.

Gymnastics for the eyes

Exercises specially selected by the doctor, in combination with other methods of correcting astigmatism, will help improve the condition of the cornea and eye muscles. On to the pros this method This includes accessibility, ease of implementation and a small amount of time required to complete the complex. Exercises have a beneficial effect on overworked eyes due to constant tension in the eye muscles, help stabilize vision and reduce the risk of complications.

Hardware treatment of astigmatism in children

For the treatment of astigmatism in a child in Lately Special devices are widely used to help improve the condition of the visual system. When correcting astigmatism in children, doctors recommend using infrared laser therapy, magnetic therapy, a laser stimulator, special massage glasses and other methods.

Each of the methods of hardware therapy has contraindications and application features, so only the doctor decides which method and which course is most suitable for the baby.

Surgical intervention

Eye surgery can only be performed when the child reaches 18 years of age. A combination is suitable for younger children conservative methods treatments to help stabilize vision. Surgery is performed if other types of treatment have failed.

Main types of operations for astigmatism:

keratotomy.

This type of intervention is used for mixed astigmatism and myopia. The doctor uses a special device to make incisions on the cornea. As tissue heals, vision improves due to changes in the curvature of the cornea and the refractive power of light rays;

thermokeratocoagulation.

Suitable for correcting farsighted astigmatism. The essence of the operation is to increase the curvature of the cornea by cauterizing it with a miniature metal needle;

laser and conductive coagulation.

These operations are considered a more modern version of thermokeratocoagulation. In this case, instead of a needle, a special laser or radio frequency radiation is used.

laser vision correction.

It is considered the most effective and in a safe way vision correction for different types astigmatism. The method involves correcting the thinnest layer of the cornea using laser beam in such a way that the refracted light is focused directly onto the retina. The intervention is carried out under local anesthesia and provides normal vision to the patient;

implantation of intraocular lenses.

This method surgical treatment has the same principle as the use of contact lenses, but special lenses are not put on the cornea, but are placed inside the eye.

Prognosis for astigmatism in children

Typically, the degree of congenital astigmatism decreases during the first year of a child’s life. By age 7, most children's vision has stabilized, but if left untreated, the outcome can be unpredictable. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the problem in time and correct astigmatism. This will improve your visual acuity and increase your likelihood of reducing the strength of your lenses and avoiding glasses in the future.

conclusions

The health of a baby’s visual organ largely depends on the attentiveness and responsibility of parents. They are the first to notice a change in the baby’s condition and can seek help from a specialist. Moms and dads need to know what astigmatism is and how this pathology can manifest itself in children.

Correction methods should not be neglected of this disease. Although conservative treatment methods cannot “cure” the disease, since they do not affect the cause of the disease, the use of corrective treatment improves the prognosis of this disease and prevents the development dangerous complications. Parents need to remember that the foundation of health is laid in childhood, and the consequences of improper treatment can last a lifetime.

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Astigmatism is a fairly common ophthalmological disease. Although there are frequent cases of an acquired form of this eye pathology, congenital astigmatism is most common.

What it is?

Normally, the cornea and lens have a perfectly flat and smooth surface. Rays refracted through them are projected exactly in the center of the retina. With astigmatism, the rays need to pass through uneven and convex areas, as a result of which the transmitted projection is incorrect. At the same time, a person sees a blurry, unclear image, and is forced to squint and strain his eyesight. Congenital astigmatism is a genetic feature expressed in a change in the shape of the cornea, as a result of which improper refraction of rays occurs in the projecting parts of the eye.

Causes

If acquired astigmatism is the result of injuries, then with congenital astigmatism the situation is somewhat different; it can be inherited. Genetic predisposition consider the most common cause diseases. At the stage when the fetus is just forming in the woman’s body and the cornea appears, its formation occurs with disruption. This is due to the fact that all the necessary information is passed on to the fetus by inheritance from both parents. If one of them is a carrier of a damaged gene responsible for the formation of the lens and cornea, a failure occurs. In addition, there are additional reasons, provoking astigmatism:

alcohol intoxication of the fetus;
albinism;
congenital pathology jaws;
retinal pigment abiotrophy.

If only one parent suffers from an eye disease, then the risk of passing on hereditary astigmatism to the fetus is approximately 50/50%. If both parents have eye problems, the probability increases to 75%.

Types of pathology and its diagnosis

Depending on the type, shape and severity of congenital astigmatism, appropriate treatment is selected, which is why it is so important to carry out timely diagnosis. According to the form of the disease, astigmatism is divided into:

simple - when only one eye has nearsightedness or farsightedness;
complex - when there is the same visual impairment in both eyes;
mixed - when one eye is subject to myopia and the other to farsightedness.

According to severity, the disease is divided into:

weak - if the deviation is up to 3 diopters;
average - if the deviation is from 3 to 6 diopters;
strong - if the deviation is more than 6 diopters.

Since the eyeball is a sphere, you can mentally draw meridians along it. The two main meridians, which are located perpendicular to each other, can have different deviations. Depending on how light rays are refracted through the main meridians and transmitted to the retina, astigmatism is divided into:

straight - when the vertical meridian refracts the rays more;
reverse - when the horizontal meridian refracts the rays more;
with oblique axes - when the main meridians are located incorrectly relative to the vertical and horizontal axis of the cornea.

Astigmatism up to 1 diopter is considered normal; the reasons are purely physiological and most often this form occurs in children under one year of age. If this does not happen, the disease becomes more pronounced with gradual deterioration of vision.

Not everyone can diagnose astigmatism on their own. Vigilant parents will notice if a child bumps into objects while eating, misses his mouth, or is unable to put a toy in the indicated place. Older children begin to complain of stinging and pain in the eyes while watching cartoons, reading a book or drawing. All this suggests that it is difficult for the child to focus his gaze on objects.

Astigmatism can be diagnosed in children from 3 months. The ophthalmologist uses special drops for this, which cause a certain reaction in the eyes; based on it, the doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis. For older children, the following methods for recognizing the disease are used:

Skiascopy is a method based on the movement of a shadow in the area of the pupil. During such a study, the doctor and the patient are in a dark room, at a distance of 1 meter from each other. The ophthalmologist illuminates the eye with a special mirror, periodically changing the angle and observing how the shadow from the pupil moves. Based on this, the type of refraction and the severity of astigmatism are determined;
computer automatic refractometry is a modern method for determining the refractive power of the eye;
Visiometry is a method of determining vision in children who are already able to speak. The essence of the method is that the child, sitting at the required distance from a special table, tells the doctor the images he sees. This is a simplified version of the usual diagnosis for adults, only instead of letters there are pictures;
measurement of intraocular pressure;
eye biomicroscopy - a non-contact examination method using a special slit lamp (ophthalmological microscope);
computer keratotopography is a non-invasive method of examining the cornea, with which it is possible to obtain topographic map anterior surface of the eye.

Treatment

Congenital or acquired astigmatism is most often not a death sentence. Modern ophthalmology offers many ways to solve the problem. In some fairly simple cases, the doctor recommends eye exercises. By closing each eye in turn and performing special exercises, you can significantly reduce astigmatism. In other cases you may need:

selection of glasses or contact lenses;
laser vision correction;
surgery and lens replacement.

Glasses and contacts can improve vision, however, they will not cure astigmatism itself, so in many cases surgery is still indicated. Scientists say that approximately every 4 inhabitants of the planet suffer from astigmatism to one degree or another. Thanks to progressive techniques, it can be easily cured, the main thing is to monitor the health of your eyes and contact an ophthalmologist at the first signs of a decrease in visual acuity.

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Date: 04/01/2016

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Acquired or congenital astigmatism in children is not uncommon. It is important to pay attention to the child’s unusual behavior in time and contact a specialist. He will help prevent the progression of the pathology and prescribe the necessary course of therapy.

What is astigmatism and the causes of its occurrence

Astigmatism (congenital or acquired) is a pathology of the cornea of the eye or curvature of the lens. The child sees surrounding objects blurry, their outlines are curved. As children grow up, they may develop incorrect perceptions of reality. not only causes discomfort, but also leads to mental retardation. The development of congenital astigmatism in a baby begins from the first days or during the first year of life.

The following forms of the disease are distinguished:

simple, when a child has nearsightedness or farsightedness in one eye;
complex - when vision is impaired in both eyes;
mixed, when one eye suffers from myopia, the other from farsightedness.

Degree congenital anomaly It can be weak (with a diopter of up to three units), medium (up to six units) and strong (with a diopter of more than six units). Deviation from the norm, code dioptre is no more than one, is very rare. This astigmatism is called physiological.

Usually the cause of its occurrence is the uneven growth of all cells in the eyeball. As a result, slight deformation of the cornea occurs. Physiological pathology practically does not progress and is easily treated. All other types of congenital or acquired disorders of the cornea are pathological. Depending on the severity of the disease, more long time to eliminate the cause or stop the progressive process of vision deterioration.

The causes of congenital astigmatism can be:

Heredity.
Pathology of jaw development.
Albinism.
Alcohol intoxication of the fetus.
Congenital retinitis pigmentosa.

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How is it diagnosed?

Under the age of one year without special examinations It is almost impossible to detect astigmatism. During this period, the baby may experience frequent redness of the whites of the eyes and tearing. At a later age, the signs are more obvious. The child bumps into furniture, doors, puts toys past the shelves of the closet, looks at something, squints. After three years, he finds it difficult to read; he complains of frequent pain in his eyes, headaches, and dizziness.

In order to determine the cause of all these manifestations and take timely measures in case of astigmatism, it is necessary to prevent the development of pathology from infancy, in consultation with a pediatric ophthalmologist. Congenital astigmatism is diagnosed from three months of age. If the ophthalmologist suspects that the baby has abnormal development of the cornea or lens, he instills special drops. The diagnosis is made based on the reaction of the eyes.

Such children are under medical supervision for up to a year, then treatment begins. When the child begins to walk, diagnosis is carried out with an autorefractometer, and the degree of corneal deformation is carried out using keratometry or computer topography. In older children, the presence of pathology is detected using a special table. Visual acuity is determined by selecting cylindrical lenses.

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How to stop pathology

The progression of astigmatism leads to dysfunction of the entire visual system, as well as in the visual centers of the brain.

With congenital pathology in children under one year of age, vision gradually deteriorates. Subsequently, this process slows down or stops altogether. But in any case, astigmatism must be treated. Otherwise, strabismus or amblyopia may develop.

Treatment is carried out using:

special cylindrical glasses;
special day lenses;
hard night lenses;
laser vision correction.

Glasses and daytime lenses should be worn constantly, without taking them off during the day. Hard night lenses are used when the diopter is no more than one. They put them on before bed and sleep with them. At night, when the child is sleeping and his body is relaxed, the lenses lightly press on the cornea and gradually smooth it out. Vision is restored. Laser vision correction is only recommended for people over 18 years of age.

Nowadays, children are often diagnosed with various ophthalmological diseases. One of them is astigmatism, a pathology characterized by a shift in visual focus, as a result of which the patient sees objects unclearly. In children, congenital astigmatism is most often detected. However, the disease can also be acquired.

An eye disease that causes lenses to become out of focus is called astigmatism. The essence of the disease is hidden in the name itself. The word “stigma” in Greek means a point, and the prefix “a” in front of it means denial. Thus, with this disease, the image on the retina is focused not at one point, but at several, so the person sees objects with blurred contours.

Pathogenesis of the disease

To understand why astigmatism appears, it is worth remembering how the human eye works. Conventionally, the ocular apparatus can be divided into two parts: transparent or light-conducting and light-receiving sections. The first include:

cornea;
lens,
vitreous body.

The light-receiving part is the retina. To see the images to the human eye light is needed. Light rays passing through the light-conducting sections are refracted in a certain way and converge at one point on the retina.

If the cornea or lens has a shape different from the correct one, refraction is disrupted and the rays are focused not at one point, but at several. As a result of this disorder, a person sees objects blurry.

In addition, due to refractive error, the image may not be formed on the retina itself, but in front of or behind it. In this case, the person does not see objects well, either far or near.

Advice! Astigmatism is often combined with other disorders: myopia ( poor eyesight distance) or hypermetropia (inability to see small objects up close).

Types of astigmatism

There are many varieties of this visual impairment. First of all, it is worth distinguishing two types of disease:

corneal;
lenticular.

In the first case, refractive error is caused by a change in the shape of the cornea, in the second, accordingly, by the lens. Depending on where the rays are focused, two types of the disease are distinguished:

myopic or myopic;
hypermetropic or farsighted.

The disease can affect one eye or both. Taking this into account, they distinguish:

a simple form of the disease, when myopia or hypermetropia is detected in only one eye;
the complex form is characterized by the same damage to both eyes, but the degree of development of myopia or farsightedness may be different;
the mixed form is manifested by the fact that in one eye there are signs of myopia, and in the second - farsightedness.

Depending on the degree of changes, there are:

physiological form, in which the degree of impairment does not exceed 0.75 diopters;
pathological form, which can manifest itself in mild, moderate or severe degrees.

Advice! Physiological astigmatism is very common. As a rule, this is a congenital pathology, but since it has virtually no effect on the quality of life, it is often simply not noticed.

In children, it is more often the congenital form of the disease that is inherited. Acquired astigmatism can develop as a complication:

injuries;
severe eye infections.

Due to damage to the cornea, scars form on it, which cause a change in shape. In this case, acquired astigmatism develops.

Signs

How can parents understand that their child has vision problems? Here are the main signs that should alert parents:

the baby, in order to see the object, bends over it or turns his head, squints or pulls the outer corner of the eye with his fingers;
the child's eyes often become red or watery;
the baby does not orientate himself in space very well: he stumbles, bumps into objects, may put something past the table, etc.;
from the child’s stories it becomes clear that the baby sees objects forked or crooked;
the child is capricious, complains that he has a headache, and there is pain in his eyes.

Advice! Of course, a diagnosis cannot be made based on these symptoms alone. It is necessary to take your child to an ophthalmologist to undergo an examination. Only after this the doctor will be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment, if necessary.

Astigmatism in babies

It must be remembered that astigmatism in infants is a physiological phenomenon. It is observed in most children and goes away by about one and a half years of age without treatment. However, the baby’s parents can help him “train” his eyes faster.

To do this, you need to do special gymnastics: the object that interests the baby (for example, a bright rattle) needs to be moved left and right, brought closer to the baby and away from him. The child will follow the toy with his eyes, and this helps strengthen the muscles.

Treatment

Physiological astigmatism does not require treatment; measures must be taken if visual impairment exceeds 1 diopter. No medications are required to treat this disease, since the process is not inflammatory.

Advice! The only type of medication that a doctor can recommend for astigmatism in a child is vitamins.

Treatment can be carried out using two methods:

correction of the violation by selecting glasses;
orthokeratology method.

Glasses for correction should be selected by a doctor; they are used for astigmatism special types lenses It should be noted that at the first stage of wearing glasses, the child may complain of discomfort. Usually after a few days discomfort pass. If this does not happen, you need to contact an ophthalmologist.

For older children, the doctor can choose contact lenses. This correction option is certainly more convenient. It doesn't limit peripheral vision, does not create a cosmetic defect (some children are embarrassed to wear glasses). However, you will need to learn how to put on and remove lenses. In addition, you will need to keep the lenses clean and care for them properly.

The orthokeratology method involves wearing special hard contact lenses at night. While the baby sleeps, the lenses affect the cornea, correcting its shape. Therefore, in the morning, after removing the lenses, the child sees much better. However, this is a temporary improvement; after some time, the cornea returns to its normal position and vision deteriorates again.

Advice! The problem of astigmatism can be radically solved only through surgery. Nowadays, laser correction is performed - this technique is almost painless, allows for quick recovery and does not cause complications. But the operation is possible only when the child reaches the age of 18 years.

Prognosis and prevention

The congenital form of astigmatism in most cases is physiological and goes away without treatment during the first years of life. However, in the presence of additional pathologies, vision deterioration may progress.

At timely diagnosis and correction, the condition can be stabilized. If congenital astigmatism is not detected in a timely manner, the child may develop strabismus. Prevention of congenital astigmatism is impossible, since the tendency to this pathology is transmitted at the genetic level.

The acquired form of the disease can be prevented by taking good care of the visual organs. It is important to ensure that visual stress alternates with relaxation time. When the first signs of vision deterioration appear, you should consult a doctor in order to take appropriate measures in a timely manner and prevent the progression of the disease.

So, astigmatism in children is most often a congenital pathology. If the changes are minor, the disease does not require treatment and goes away without consequences after a few years. If the pathology causes a significant deterioration in vision, timely correction and treatment are necessary.