Retinitis, also known as retinosis, encompasses a set of diseases affecting the retina, an important area of the back of the eye that contains cells responsible for capturing images, causes symptoms such as progressive vision loss and the ability to distinguish colors, and can even cause blindness.
The main cause is retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that causes progressive vision loss, most of the time, caused by a genetic and inherited disease. In addition, other possible causes of retinitis may include infections such as cytomegalovirus, herpes, measles, syphilis. or fungi, eye trauma and the toxic action of certain medications, such as chloroquine or chlorpromazine, for example.
- Although there is no cure.
- It is possible to treat this disease.
- Which depends on its cause and the severity of the injury.
- And may involve protection against solar radiation and vitamin A and omega 3 supplements.
Pigment retinosis affects the function of photoreceptor cells, called cones and sticks, that capture images in color and dark environments.
It can affect one or both eyes, and the main symptoms that may occur are:
Vision loss can gradually worsen, at a rate that varies by cause, and can even lead to blindness of the affected eye, also called a amaurosa. In addition, retinitis can occur at any age, from birth to adulthood, which varies depending on its cause.
The test that detects retinitis is the bottom of the eye, performed by the ophthalmologist, which detects certain dark pigments in the eyes, spider-shaped, called spies.
In addition, some tests that may help in diagnosis include vision, color and field of vision tests, tomographic examination of the eye, electroretinography and retynography, for example.
Retinosis pigmentosa is mainly caused by inherited diseases, transmitted from parent to child, and this genetic inheritance can occur in three ways:
In addition, this disease can lead to a syndrome that, in addition to affecting the eyes, can compromise other organs and body functions, such as Usher syndrome.
Retinitis can also be caused by some type of inflammation of the retina, such as infections, medication use, and even eye blows. Because visual impairment in these cases is stable and controllable with treatment, this condition is also called pseudoretinitis. Pigmentosa.
Some of the main causes are
These types of retinitis usually affect only one eye.
Retinitis has no cure, but there are some treatments, guided by the ophthalmologist, that can help control and prevent disease progression, such as vitamin A, beta-carotene and omega-3 supplementation.
It is also important to have protection against exposure to light at short wavelengths, with the use of glasses with UV-A and B blockers, to prevent acceleration of the disease.
Only for infectious causes, it is possible to use medicines such as antibiotics and antivirals to cure the infection and reduce damage to the retina.
In addition, if vision loss has already occurred, the ophthalmologist can advise aids such as magnifying glasses and computer tools, which can be useful to improve the quality of life of these people.