While pain in and around the eyes can often occur due to simple eye strain, sometimes it can be also a symptom of serious problems.

Eye pain is a type of pain that occurs occasionally in most people but is rarely caused by a serious medical condition. Eye pain is divided into two types depending on where in the eye you feel the pain. Pain on the surface of the eye is called ocular pain, while pain felt deeper inside the eye is called orbital pain. If eye pain is accompanied by redness, bleeding, itching, burning, stinging and swelling, it is absolutely necessary to consult an ophthalmologist. Determining the problem with a detailed eye and vision examination by specialist physicians is very important to prevent possible permanent damage. Op. Dr. Mehmet Esat Teker from the Department of Ophthalmology at Memorial Kayseri Hospital gave information about eye pain.

Sinusitis or headache can be reflected in the eyes

Most people have complaints of eye pain from time to time. Pain can occur due to trauma, inflammation and infection in the eyes. The pain may be in one eye or both eyes. It is difficult for the patient to pinpoint the exact location of eye pain. Therefore, a medical examination is essential to determine the location and cause of the pain. The presence of pain and additional symptoms help in the correct diagnosis of the disease. Sometimes the pain may go away spontaneously and sometimes treatment may be required. Pain in the eyes can often be the reflection of sinusitis or headache in the eyes. In this case, patients are referred to Neurology and Otorhinolaryngology departments.

Some problems may cause eye pain

Many eye diseases are manifested by pain in the eye. Some problems and diseases may be the cause of the pain that starts in the eye.

Foreign body in the eye: Foreign bodies in the eye can cause sudden onset of pain, stinging, burning and watering as well as blurred vision and redness. In these cases, an ophthalmologist should be consulted and the foreign body should be removed by the ophthalmologist. When the object is tried to be removed on its own, there is a risk of further damage to the eye.

Conjunctivitis: It is inflammation of the tissue on the white structure of the eye. It can also be due to non-microbial factors such as microbial, allergic and autoimmunity. The enlargement of the vessels in the conjunctiva is manifested by redness in the eye. In this case, in addition to pain in the eye, patients may have complaints such as stinging, burning, watering, a feeling as if sand has been thrown into the eyes, burring, itching. Conjunctivitis usually improves with drop treatments.

Corneal abrasion: It is a condition that occurs due to scratching or abrasion on the cornea. It manifests itself as severe pain after trauma, stinging, burning, watering, discomfort from light and blurred vision. A doctor’s examination is absolutely necessary without losing time in terms of possible perforation control.

Keratitis: Inflammation of the cornea due to microbial or non-microbial causes. Keratitis that occurs especially after unhygienic use of soft contact lenses requires urgent treatment. Otherwise, infections that may result in perforation of the eye may occur within 24 hours. Therefore, it is very important to wear and remove the lenses daily, to pay close attention to hygiene and to remove the lens while swimming in the pool or sea.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma manifests itself in crisis situations with severe pain (the eye may burst), nausea, vomiting and headache. It is a condition that requires urgent intervention. Otherwise, it may cause irreversible damage to the eye.

Uveitis: Uveitis is a condition in which the anterior, middle, posterior or the entire uveal layer of the eye can be involved together. It manifests itself with pain in the eye, light sensitivity, vision loss and redness in the eyes. It can occur due to trauma, infection or immune system disorders. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important to prevent permanent damage.

Optic neuritis: It is the inflammation of the optic nerve that provides communication between the eye and the brain due to various causes. It may manifest itself with pain, especially pain that increases with eye movement, blurred vision and loss of visual field. It is a condition that requires urgent treatment.

Blepharitis or hordeolum: It is a condition that manifests itself with swelling, tenderness and pain in the lids after blockage of the sebaceous ducts opening to the base of the eyelashes. It is popularly known as stye or dog elbow. Generally, relief is experienced as a result of the discharge of the inflammation in the swelling area within a few days. In cases where there is no discharge, it is important to reduce the need for surgery after massage.

Cellulitis: It is divided into 2 groups as preseptal or orbital cellulitis. It may present with symptoms such as headache, pain in the eye, especially pain in eye movements, swelling, redness and loss of vision, and may also manifest itself with neurological symptoms as cellulitis progresses. Urgent examination and initiation of appropriate treatment is vital.

Scleritis or episcleritis: Inflammation of the deep tissues of the white part of the eye. It may occur due to microbial or non-microbial causes. It must be treated after a doctor’s examination.

Dry eye: Dry eye can accompany all diseases involving the surface of the eye. Sometimes it can be mild, sometimes it can be severe; it manifests itself with pain, burning, stinging, light sensitivity and blurred vision.

When is eye pain an emergency?

If you experience vision loss or any of the following symptoms in addition to eye pain, you should seek emergency medical attention:

• Eye pain after trauma or chemical exposure
• Abdominal pain and vomiting accompanied by eye pain
• Painful sensation that cannot touch the eye
• Sudden and dramatic changes in vision

Do not waste time if you have these symptoms!

If you have 1 or 2 of the following symptoms in addition to eye pain, you should definitely consult an ophthalmologist. It is vital to organize appropriate treatment after a detailed eye and vision examination in order to prevent possible permanent damage.

1. If nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are also present
2. If there is a sudden and severe decrease in vision
3. If the eye protrudes forward
4. If there is restriction in eye movements
5. If the pain is so severe that the eye cannot be touched
6. In cases of severe trauma or chemical exposure, a specialist should be consulted.

Suggestions that are good for eye fatigue

If the cause of eye pain is due to chronic eye strain, some applications can be effective:

• Increasing or decreasing the amount of light in the environment can rest your eyes.
• If you work for long periods of time looking at monitors, it can be effective to rest your eyes by closing and opening them for short breaks.
• If you have an eye defect, you may need to have an ophthalmologist confirm that you are using the correct numbers.

March 2023

İnsanın en temel duyularından biri olan görme, bir çocuk dünyaya geldikten 3 ya da 4 ay sonra gelişmeye başlar. Bu sebeple bebeklerin doğumdan hemen sonraki dönemde göz muayenelerinin yapılması ve doğumsal bir göz hastalığı olup olmadığı kontrol edilmelidir.

Dünyada 38 milyona yakın insanın görme engelli olarak yaşadığını söyleyen Göz Hastalıkları Uzmanı Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hakan Özdemir, çocukluk çağında meydana gelen körlüğün başlıca nedeninin doğumsal katarakt, prematüre retinopatisi ve doğumsal göz tansiyonu (glokom) olduğunu söyledi. Bezmialem Vakıf Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi Göz Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı Başkanı Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hakan Özdemir, “Körlük nedenleri, bebeklerde görülen doğumsal nedenler ve erişkinlerde görülen edinsel nedenler olarak ayrılıyor. Doğumsal nedenlerin erken teşhisleri ve mümkünse erken tedavileri büyük önem taşımaktadır. Doğumsal katarakt, prematüre retinopatisi, ve doğumsal göz tansiyonu (glokom) en önemli çocukluk çağı körlük nedenleridir” dedi.

Anne karnında kötü beslenme, radyasyon, kortizon ve sulfamid gibi ilaçların alınması ile anne karnında rubella enfeksiyonunun, doğumsal katarakta neden olabildiğini aktaran Dr. Özdemir şöyle devam etti: “Doğumsal kataraktın zamanında tedavi edilmemesi; zekâ geriliği, yürüme zorluğu ve nistagmusa (gözlerde titreme)  neden olabilir. Öte yandan prematüre retinopatisi bebeklerde tedavi edilmezse çok hızlı bir şekilde körlükle sonuçlanabilir. Prematüre retinopatisi, 37 haftadan önce 1.500 gramdan az doğmuş ve solunum problemi nedeniyle oksijen verilmiş bebeklerde görülür. Bir diğer körlük nedeni olan doğumsal glokom, çocuklarda sinsi bir körlük nedenidir. Ailelerin çocuklarının göz kürelerindeki büyümeyi yakalamaları büyük önem taşımaktadır. Çünkü doğumsal glokomun dışarıdan görülebilecek en önemli bulgusu, bebeklerin ya da çocukların gözlerindeki genel büyümedir.” 

Körlük Nedenleri Toplumlara Göre Değişiyor
Dünyadaki körlük nedenleri sıralamasının toplumların gelişmişlik derecelerine göre değiştiğini ifade eden Prof. Özdemir, “Az gelişmiş toplumlarda önlenebilir ya da tedavi edilebilir körlükler daha sık gözükürken, gelişmiş toplumlarda önlenmesi ve tedavi edilmesi daha zor olan körlük nedenleri ön plandadır. Az gelişmiş ülkelerdeki başlıca körlük nedenleri, katarakt, trahom, kornea hastalıkları, göz yaralanmaları iken; gelişmiş ülkelerdeki başlıca körlük nedenleri ise diyabetik retinopati ve yaşa bağlı makula dejeneresyonudur” ifadelerini kullandı.

Modern Tıbbın İlerlemesiyle Körlük Nedenleri Azaldı
Göz, çok komplike ve narin bir yapıya sahip olduğu için herhangi bir nedenle oluşan hasarın tamiri günümüz modern tıbbında bile oldukça zor olabilmektedir. Ülkemizdeki körlük nedenleri daha çok gelişmiş toplumların körlük nedeni profillerine uymaktadır. Örneğin katarakt, çok büyük oranda ülkemizde körlük nedeni olmaktan çıkmıştır. Günümüzde katarakt cerrahisi çoğu vakada fakoemülsifikasyon tekniği ile yapılmaktadır. Cerrahi sonrası hastalar hızlı bir şekilde günlük hayatlarına dönebilmektedir. Katarakt cerrahisinde göze yerleştirilen yeni lens teknolojileri de daha iyi görsel sonuçlar sağlamanın yanında hastaların günlük konforlarını da arttırma olanağı sunmuştur. Kornea cerrahisi yine hızlı bir şekilde gelişmektedir. Kornea nakillerinin yanı sıra, korneal halka, limbal kök hücre kullanımı gibi yenilikler kullanılmaktadır. Bu sayede birçok hasta körlükten kurtarılabilmektedir. Retina hastalıklarına bağlı körlükler gelişmiş toplumlarda olduğu gibi ülkemizde de en önemli körlük nedenleridir. Erişkinlerde önemli ani körlük sebeplerinden biri olan retina dekolmanı ameliyatları da ülkemizde başarılı şekilde gerçekleştirilmektedir. Gelişmiş toplumlardaki en önemli körlük nedenleri olan diyabetik retinopati ve yaşa bağlı makula dejenerasyonunda intravitreal enjeksiyonlar ve laser tedaviler uygulanmaktadır. Ayrıca günümüzde tedavisi olmayan bazı retina hastalıklarında gen hücre tedavileri, deneysel olarak kullanılmaya başlanmıştır. Sinsi bir körlük sebebi olan göz tansiyonu hastalığı (glokom) ile ilgili yeni damlalar, yeni implantlar ve yeni cerrahi teknikler körlüğü engelleme açısından umut vaat etmektedir.

Şubat 2023

When it comes to smoking, there is a long list of devastating effects on our health. Smoking causes many eye diseases, from macular degeneration to strabismus in infants. Ophthalmology Specialist Op. Dr. Seyda Atabay; She drew attention to the damage caused by cigarettes to the eyes and made important warnings.

Smoking significantly increases the risk of catching many irreversible eye diseases and is such a bad habit for health that it can cause permanent vision loss or blindness. Cigarette smoke contains as many as 5,000 active toxic compounds, including aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons, tar, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and heavy metals. Smoking is directly linked to the two leading causes of vision loss, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Does smoking hurt the eyes?

It is a well-known fact that smoking is harmful to general health. The share of smoking in the occurrence of diseases that result in death in the world is quite large. Smoking, which is the primary perpetrator of health problems such as cancer, heart and blood vessels, poses a great danger to the eyes as a window to the world. Especially affecting the left eye lens and retinal cells, smoking causes vision loss in the following years. It also greatly increases the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. If you are a smoker over the age of 50, you are more likely to experience smoking-related blindness.

How does smoking affect the eyes?

Smoking or being exposed to cigarette smoke means taking toxins into the body. These toxins disrupt the natural balance of blood flow and cause blockages in capillaries. This blockage in the capillaries prevents the substances necessary for eye health from reaching the eye through the capillaries. Instead, harmful substances reach the eyes and cause permanent damage to eye health.

What is the link between smoking and cataracts?

Studies have proven that when smokers and nonsmokers are compared, the risk of developing cataracts is doubled in smokers. This risk can be up to three times higher for those who smoke more than one pack a day. Studies have also proven that there is a special relationship between cataracts and the amount of cigarettes smoked. The more cigarettes smoked, the greater the chance of developing cataracts. Cataracts occur when the naturally clear lens of the eyes becomes cloudy over time. This age-related condition causes blurred vision, pale colors, and increased sensitivity to brightness. Experts believe that smoking contributes to cataracts by altering lens cells through oxidation. There is also evidence that smoking leads to the accumulation of heavy metals such as cadmium in the lens. 

Smoking causes yellow spot disease

Yellow spot disease is one of the most age-related eye diseases. The yellow spot is the structure located in the center of the retina at the back of the eye and provides color vision. When damaged, it causes vision loss. The biggest symptom of the disease is blurred vision. And also;

• Deterioration in visual quality,
• Difficulty in reading,
• Inability to select objects,
• Difficulty recognizing faces,
• Sensitivity to light,
• Flashes of light,
• Decreased night vision,
• The brown spot seen while looking is also one of the symptoms caused by macular degeneration.

Smoking also greatly increases a person’s risk of developing macular degeneration. Studies have proven that smokers are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop this eye problem than those who have never smoked. As with cataracts, the more cigarettes smoked, the higher the risk of developing macular degeneration. In addition to all this, people who do not smoke but are frequently exposed to environmental cigarette smoke will also have an increased risk of this eye disease. Macular degeneration involves the deterioration of the macula, the central part of the retina that allows perceiving fine details. When the macula wears off, people see blurred, distorted, or yellow, blind spots in their central vision. Smoking can promote macular degeneration by blocking blood flow to the retina. Smoking can also seriously increase the harmful effects of oxidation on cells in the macula. Exposure to smoke as a passive smoker invites macular degeneration. As such, the incidence of yellow spot disease, which is the most common cause of vision loss, is increasing. Moreover, smoking reduces the effectiveness of the laser used in the treatment of yellow spot disease.

 It increases the risk of cataracts

The damage caused by smoking to the eyes does not end with counting. Cataract, another eye disease, is caused by exposure to smoking. Moreover, even being a passive smoker is enough to be caught in cataracts. Because smoking causes cataracts by reducing the level of antioxidant factors. Clinical studies show that smoking affects antioxidants such as superoxide, dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, which provide the transparency of the lens. The more cigarette smoke a person is exposed to, the greater the risk of developing cataracts.

May cause strabismus and blindness in infants

Smoking can cause dryness in the eyes, deterioration of the eye muscles, increased eye pressure and protrusion of the eyeball. In addition to all these, smoking during pregnancy harms not only the person but also the baby. The risk of strabismus increases in the babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Smoking, which causes premature birth, can even cause blindness in babies. In order to protect eye health, it is necessary to quit smoking and not be exposed to smoke, even passively. Most importantly, if it is felt that there is something out of the ordinary in the eyes, it is necessary to consult a specialist doctor.

What are other eye health problems related to smoking?

In addition, smoking can lead to the following eye problems;

• Diabetic retinopathy: This problem is a common complication of diabetes. It affects the small blood vessels of the retina in the eye. The blood vessels in the retina can rupture, leak, or become clogged. This can also affect vision over time. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, serious damage can occur to the eye when new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina.
• Dry eye syndrome: This disorder occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears. Smoking can also worsen the symptoms of this pathology, as it causes dry eyes and irritation.
• Optic nerve damage: Smoking can cause serious problems with this nerve, which connects the eye with the brain and can lead to blindness.
• Amblyopia: This problem, also known as amblyopia, is a vision problem that rarely occurs in both eyes and is severely obstructed without any disease in the visual pathways and eye. Smoking can cause a great deal of lazy eye.
• Conjunctivitis: The inflammation (inflammation) of the white part of the eye (sclera) and the layer (conjunctiva) that covers the inner part of the eyelids and is in the form of a thin membrane is called conjunctivitis. Smoking is directly related to conjunctivitis.

Sigaradan kaynaklanan görme kaybını önlemek için neler yapılmalıdır?

There is still hope for people who want to avoid smoking-related vision loss. Quitting smoking increases the chances of avoiding eye diseases. For example, the risk of developing macular degeneration after 1 year in people who quit smoking is reduced by 6-7%. After 5 years, this risk decreases to 5%. The same is true for cataracts or other eye problems. Although very slowly, the damage caused by smoking to the eyes will heal over time. In addition to all these, the following situations should also be taken into account;

• Protective glasses should be used against the harmful UV rays of the sun.
• The eyes should be rested after reading a book or any activity that strains the eyes, such as the television or computer.
• Healthy eating habits that help maintain good visual acuity should be followed meticulously.
• Attention should always be paid to eye hygiene.
• Blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels should be checked to detect possible symptoms of eye disorders.

We are waiting for you at our hospital to determine the damage caused by smoking and to create a treatment plan with our specialists.

January 2023