Spasm of accommodation of the eye. Spasm of the eye muscles Eye drops for eye spasm

Over the past ten years, the number of people suffering from myopia has increased significantly in the world. If you believe the statistics, the disease is diagnosed in every third patient who turns to an ophthalmologist with complaints about eye health. Most often, myopia is caused by a spasm of accommodation. This is a functional disorder that can be eliminated with the right selected therapy.

Accommodation is responsible for focusing the organ of vision at different distances. In the absence of deviations, this process is regulated by the coordinated work of several elements of the eye: the lens, the ciliary muscle and the zinn ligaments. The accommodative muscles are three "portions" of smooth muscle fibers: meridional (Brücke), radial (Ivanov) and circular (Muller).

While looking at distant objects, the muscles are relaxed. When focusing the gaze on a nearby object, the meridional fibers tense, the zinn ligaments relax, as a result, the curvature of the lens increases and the degree of refraction of the visual apparatus increases.

Spasm of the eye muscles is accompanied by a disruption in the work of the radial and circular fibers. They cannot relax, as a result, the ciliary body is in a state of contraction for a long time. Such pathological processes lead to impaired blood supply and can provoke the development of chorioretinal dystrophy.

Causes of spasm of accommodation

The anomaly is most often detected in children in adolescence. The main cause of spasm in schoolchildren is excessive visual stress associated with prolonged use of a PC or prolonged viewing of television programs. Insufficient illumination of the workplace, improperly selected furniture and reading at close range also negatively affect eye health.

Non-compliance with sleep and rest, eating harmful foods, lack of vitamins, passive lifestyle - all this negatively affects visual acuity and can lead to the development of pathological processes.

After the age of forty, the lens becomes denser and less elastic, which leads to the development of myopia. This is the so-called age-related weakening of the accommodation muscles. For this reason, spasm of the eye muscles in the elderly is extremely rare and can be triggered by a head injury, stress, or menopause.

Classification of spasm of accommodation

Depending on the cause of the onset of the disease, several varieties of excessive tension of the accommodative muscles are distinguished:

Physiological. It develops as a response of the body to overexertion of the visual apparatus or prolonged work near a person with uncorrected hyperopia. When diagnosing this disease, it is necessary to select corrective optics and normalize the performance of the ciliary muscles;
Artificial. The spasm is caused by medications from the miotic group (Pilocarpine, Ezerin, etc.). Therapy in this case is not required, the symptoms disappear after stopping the medication;
Pathological. Accompanied by deviations in refraction and a drop in visual acuity. The disease is divided into persistent and unstable; fresh (less than a year) and old (more than twelve months); uniform or asymmetrical.

In practice, ophthalmologists most often encounter mixed spasm, which combines physiological and destructive processes.

Spasm of accommodation in children

A preschooler and teenagers most often turn to an ophthalmologist with a similar problem. Very often, pathology develops in first graders, whose eyes are not used to such huge loads.

In addition, primary school students, as a rule, do not observe the hygiene of the organ of vision, so parents should be responsible for it. However, busy mom and dad often ignore this commitment. The kid, having come from school, immediately sits down at the computer or takes a tablet. Thus, his visual apparatus does not rest, which negatively affects the sharpness of the eyes.

Spasm of accommodation in children is treated in much the same way as in adult patients. The therapy is carried out in a complex manner, the doctor selects corrective optics, prescribes special exercises and prescribes a number of medications. To improve the well-being of your child and speed up the recovery process, you need to adjust his lifestyle.

Also, good sleep and even distribution of loads are important for eye health. The child must rest in between the performance of various actions that require the tension of the visual apparatus.

Symptoms of spasm of accommodation

The main manifestation of the pathology is a drop in visual acuity and rapid eye fatigue, even with minor loads. Also, patients note the following symptoms with accommodation spasm:

Discomfort;
Cutting and burning in the eyes;
Regular headaches;
Redness of the sclera;
Increased lacrimation.

If a spasm of the ciliary muscles occurs in a child, he becomes nervous and irritable, closes in on himself. The reason lies in the fact that the student does not see well and cannot distinguish what the teacher wrote on the blackboard. This often leads to a sharp drop in academic performance. If you watch the child from the side, it can be noted that he constantly squints, trying to consider objects located at a distance.

Pathological spasm is accompanied by the following manifestations:

Trembling fingers;
Change in pupil size;
Migraine;
Profuse sweating on palms;
Unstable mental state. A person's mood can change in a second.

Also, many patients are diagnosed with vegetovascular dystonia.

Diagnostics

Only an ophthalmologist is able to confirm the diagnosis after a detailed diagnosis, which includes a number of procedures:

Determination of visual acuity using special tables of Sivtsev and Golovin;
Skiascopy. Measurement of the degree of refraction;
Study of the stock of accommodation;
Convergence. Determination of the symmetry of the movement of the eyeballs;
Computer keratotopography. Appointed to check the condition of the cornea;
Biomicroscopy. The examination is carried out using a slit lamp. Helps to detect a variety of pathological processes occurring in the visual apparatus;
Ophthalmoscopy. Analysis of the condition of the fundus.

If a spasm of the ciliary muscles is found in a child, he will need to visit additional doctors. The optometrist may refer him to a pediatrician, neurologist, orthopedist, etc. A detailed examination makes it possible to accurately determine the cause of the destructive processes occurring in the eyes.

Treatment of spasm of accommodation

The therapy is complex and includes a number of mandatory procedures. Compliance with all the recommendations of the attending physician will normalize the condition and get rid of negative symptoms for several weeks.

Drops

With a spasm of accommodation, the doctor selects medications aimed at relaxing the ciliary muscle. Ophthalmologists call them mydriatics. The drugs received such an unusual name due to the fact that they can lead to pupil dilation (drug mydriasis).

Drops from spasm of the ciliary muscles have a positive effect on the tone of the ciliary body, change its curvature and the refractive power of the lens. As a result, the patient's visual acuity normalizes and the negative manifestations of the pathology disappear. The following mydriatics are most effective:

"Atropine". Leads to pupil dilation, which lasts for seven days. Due to changes in its size, a person loses clarity of vision, objects around acquire a blurry outline. All this has a negative impact on daily life. The drug fights spasm well, but since the effect lasts too long, it is rarely used in practice;
Tropicamide. It dilates the pupil and paralyzes the ciliary muscles for five hours. Able to get rid of negative symptoms in two eyes at once;
"Cyclomed". The duration of its effect is from seven to eleven hours. If you use the drug before going to bed, then the next morning the spasm will pass. This helps to avoid blurred vision and a person can lead a normal life;
"Irifrin". The drug has become very popular with ophthalmologists in recent years. Its mechanism of action is different from the drugs listed above. In some cases, "Irifrin" and "Cyclomed" are combined.

Exercises for spasm of accommodation

To get rid of the pathology, it is enough to perform simple gymnastics several times a day on a regular basis. It will take no more than five minutes. Used in combination with eye drops:

Blink frequently and quickly;
Roll your eyes in different directions;
Close your eyes tightly;
Take turns focusing on near and far objects.

Spasm of accommodation (“tired eye syndrome”) in ophthalmology is also called “false or imaginary myopia” - this pathology is considered a functional disorder of the eye muscles, in connection with which distance visual acuity gradually decreases. This pathology of vision develops as a result of tension of the ciliary muscle of the eye (prolonged spasm, rarely paresis). At the same time, spastic tension of the muscular apparatus of the eye persists for some time after the completion of visual work and is clinically characterized by:

rapid fatigue of the eyes, due to overwork of the ciliary muscle;
decreased vision and poor discrimination of objects located at a certain distance from the eyes;
headaches in the temporal and frontal region;
pain syndrome, cutting or burning in the eyeballs.

Spasm of accommodation of the eyes, what is it?

Eye accommodation is one of the most important functions of the organ of vision and is a special mechanism for stable focusing of the gaze and the ability to adjust the power of refraction of light rays on objects. Visual accommodation enables a person to perceive objects located at different distances from the eyes with optimal clarity.

The process of accommodation is carried out by a special elastic lens - the lens and the ciliary (ciliary) muscle that controls it. If it is necessary to consider distant objects: the ciliary muscle relaxes and the lens becomes flatter, and when considering objects near, the ciliary muscle tenses and makes the lens more convex. With a spasm of accommodation, there is a violation of the proper functioning of the ciliary muscle, its periodic tension is noted, therefore, there is no regulation of the curvature of the lens. Spasm of the ciliary muscle and the lack of its relaxation causes a person to have a decrease in visual acuity and poor discrimination of objects located at a distance.

False myopia is more typical for childhood, which is associated with the immaturity of the autonomic nervous system and its central regulation, functional instability in the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. The combination of anatomical and physiological features of the eye in children with visual fatigue (long-term television viewing, constant computer games or the need to work at a computer, poor lighting and other factors that contribute to constant eye muscle tension) leads to the development of accommodation spasm (according to statistics, this pathological condition occurs in every sixth student).

To date, this pathology is increasingly common in adult patients - this is due to the presence of professions or human activity, which is associated with the need for prolonged visual stress (constant work at the computer, games, work as a jeweler, hobby for embroidery, reading, knitting).

Late diagnosis and lack of proper treatment in the presence of signs of accommodation spasm often leads to the formation of true myopia of varying degrees.

Spasm of accommodation: symptoms

The main manifestations of the developing spasm of accommodation include:

deterioration in visual acuity when considering objects located far away: objects lose their clarity, double and blur;
rapid eye fatigue from working near;
cramps, burning and double vision;
pain in the eyeballs;
tearing and redness of the eyes;
lethargy, fatigue, irritability, persistent headaches, migraines and fainting.

Also, quite often, false myopia is accompanied by symptoms: hand tremor, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthenia, hypotension, pain in the heart.

Clinically, accommodation spasm can manifest itself:

constant squinting when looking into the distance;
redness of the sclera and conjunctiva, lacrimation, frequent blinking or squinting;
lethargy of pupil reactions, anisoreflexia, asymmetry of nasolabial folds;
in some cases, the revival of tendon reflexes.

With a long-term (long-standing) spasm of accommodation, the consequences of the disease can often be: the risk of developing true myopia and frequent headaches, migraine attacks and recurrent fainting.

Diagnosis - spasm of accommodation

Imaginary myopia is detected only by an ophthalmologist after a comprehensive examination of the patient.

In doing so, the following is carried out:

collection of complaints and anamnesis of the disease;
general examination (clinically, the "syndrome of tired eyes" can manifest itself in the form of symptoms of fatigue: squinting or frequent blinking, redness of the conjunctiva and sclera of the eyes, as well as squinting when looking into the distance);
checking visual acuity (visometry);
examination of the fundus;
determination of refraction, volume and accommodation reserves;
skiascopy, convergence study.

Types of accommodation spasm

Depending on the cause, there are:

physiological (accommodative) spasm of accommodation: occurs for partial or complete self-correction of vision with astigmatism or farsightedness - tension of the ciliary muscle and a change in the curvature of the lens in these pathologies completely or partially normalize visual acuity);
transient "syndrome of tired eyes" - after a blunt eye injury or when instilling pilocarpine;
artificial or medicinal spasm of accommodation occurs when exposed to drugs that narrow the pupil (myotic drugs) or when using drugs that have similar side reactions;
pathological spasm of accommodation.

The most dangerous pathological prolonged spasm of accommodation, which without the necessary treatment leads to the formation of myopia (nearsightedness).

There are several types of false myopia: fresh (spasm duration no more than a year) and old (old) accommodation spasm; uniform and uneven; persistent and unstable.

In a separate group, neurogenic false myopia (or paresis of accommodation) is distinguished, which occurs when the nerves or nerve nodes responsible for controlling contractions or relaxation of the ciliary muscle are damaged. It is most often caused by acute or chronic infections of the head and neck, injuries of the spine or head, injuries of other parts of the spine, head, scoliosis, uneven growth of the legs, and other neurogenic pathologies.

Spasm of accommodation: causes

Among the main reasons for the development of spasm of accommodation, all conditions that are accompanied by eye strain are distinguished:

prolonged gaze fixation on closely spaced objects;
long-term visual fixation on objects located far away;
exposure of the eye to bright light for long periods of time.

This can be directly related to the professional activities of a person (working with a computer, sewing, knitting, jewelry work, geodetic development), a high load on vision at school or a higher educational institution, combined with poor lighting, mismatched furniture sizes, sitting in the back rows in school or classroom or any other severe eye strain.

Also, the causes of "syndrome of tired eyes" can be:

any type of injury (TBI, contusion, contusion of the cervical spine);
functional or organic lesions of the nervous system (including migraine, VVD, neurosis, cerebrovascular accident, hysteria);
hormonal imbalance or metabolic changes (menopause);
scoliosis, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Spasm of accommodation treatment

In adult patients, false myopia most often develops during prolonged work with PC and manifests itself in the form of a specific functional disease - CCD (computer visual syndrome). To determine this pathological condition, as well as other types of accommodation spasm, can only be an ophthalmologist after a comprehensive comprehensive examination.

In this case, it is necessary:

identify the causes of false myopia;
concomitant eye diseases are determined: astigmatism, hypermetropia, emmetropia, in which accommodative or physiological spasm of accommodation is noted;
concomitant somatic diseases, foci of chronic infection, neurological pathology, metabolic diseases or endocrinopathies, posture disorders or spinal pathology (osteochondrosis, subluxation of the cervical vertebrae) are detected;
identification of other factors that can aggravate the spasm of accommodation: large visual load, improper lighting of the workplace (too bright light or low light, furniture mismatch), malnutrition with a low content of vitamins and minerals, a sedentary lifestyle with minimal physical activity.

The specialist also determines:

degree and duration of spasm of accommodation;
persistence of spasm or the presence of paresis of the ciliary muscle;
visual load;
the general condition of the body (the presence of concomitant pathologies that contribute to the aggravation of spasm of the eye muscles);
hygienic conditions.

Treatment of accommodation spasm is always complex, individual and includes:

instillations of eye drops;
physiotherapy (laser treatment, electrophoresis of drugs, magnetotherapy);
hardware training (work on a special software and computer module "Relax", magnetic stimulation of the ciliary muscle, electrooculostimulation of the eye muscles, color stimulation and laser stimulation of the ciliary muscle;
special exercises for the eyes and the use of Sidorenko glasses;
if possible, the maximum reduction in visual load;
rehabilitation of foci of chronic infection, normalization of hormonal levels, improvement of metabolic processes and treatment of concomitant pathology;
improvement of the emotional background, increase in physical activity (walks in the fresh air, physical exercises, sports), a healthy lifestyle, hardening, proper balanced nutrition.

Drops

To eliminate the “syndrome of tired eyes”, ophthalmologists use special eye drops that dilate the pupil (“Midriacil”, “Cyclomid”, “Tropicamide”, “Atropine” and others), which help to relax the ciliary muscle. A 2% solution of irifrin is also prescribed. The course of treatment with eye drops depends on the type, degree and severity of accommodation spasm and averages from 5 days to a month. Drug treatment relaxes the ciliary muscle and the spasm of accommodation gradually disappears, but when you return to your previous lifestyle and adverse conditions (high visual load without regular breaks, weak or maximum illumination of a room or workplace, incorrect posture or landing, minimal physical activity) - a positive effect quickly passes. At the same time, after a while, false myopia progresses even faster. This is due to the forced relaxation of the ciliary muscle, which, without proper training, weakens even more over time. Therefore, in addition to drug treatment, constant training is needed to strengthen the muscles of the eye: special exercises that are performed several times a day (at least 2-3 times), periodic hardware training, the use of special glasses (“Sidorenko glasses”), taking vitamin and mineral complexes, general body strengthening, massage courses, healthy nutrition. This is important, because often, without proper attention, the spasm of accommodation turns into true myopia, especially in children.

Irifrin for spasm of accommodation

Irifrin is a sympathomimetic drug with active alpha-adrenergic action, which, when applied topically:

dilates pupils;
activates the improvement of the outflow of fluid from the internal cavities of the eye;
promotes vasoconstriction of the conjunctival membrane of the eyeball.

It is actively used for spasm of accommodation, iridocyclitis, myopia, glaucoma-cyclic crises.

Irifrin is ineffective in infectious and inflammatory eye diseases of a viral, fungal and bacterial nature.

This drug, when applied topically in the form of 2% eye drops, penetrates well into the tissue of the eye, causing pupillary dilation after 10-40 minutes, which lasts from 4 to 6 hours.

Removal of spasm of accommodation

Removal of spasm of accommodation is based on a comprehensive and individual approach to the treatment of each patient, constant training of the eye muscles and includes:

relaxation of the spasm of the ciliary muscle (a combination of optical-reflex techniques and the use of eye drops or other drug therapy);
training techniques with the performance of special exercises and work on the apparatus in order to steadily increase the tone of both the ciliary muscle and other eye muscles (adductor and abductor);
general improvement of the body and sanitation of foci of infection, treatment of background pathology.

Also, in order to prevent the development and progression of accommodation spasm, it is necessary to constantly use alternative treatment methods in everyday life:

performing exercises for the eyes ("hygiene of vision");
maintaining a healthy lifestyle with high physical activity (swimming, running, cycling) with sufficient exposure to fresh air;
massage courses of the collar zone and general massage;
taking special vitamin and mineral complexes for vision that contain lutein (“Lutein Complex”)

Also highly effective for relieving spasm of accommodation are "Sidorenko Points", which are successfully used at home from the age of 3, while, unlike drops, they do not have side effects.

Spasm of accommodation in children

Spasm of accommodation in ophthalmology is considered a functional disorder due to its reversibility, but at the same time, experts consider this pathology to be a severe disorder of the organ of vision. This is due to the fact that in the absence of a permanent alternative treatment and compliance with the rules of “hygiene of vision”, imaginary (false) myopia develops into myopia (true myopia) of varying severity. In most cases, this disease develops in children or adolescents, as well as in adults at a young age. The frequent development of spasm of accommodation in children is due to the age characteristics of their accommodation apparatus, the increasing load on the organ of vision, the lability of the nervous system and its insufficient regulatory capabilities, hereditary conditionality, the presence of background diseases, foci of chronic infection, frequent respiratory infections and other factors.

At the forefront among the causes of the development of accommodation spasm in childhood is a combination of excessive visual stress associated with prolonged work or play at the computer, watching TV, improperly selected furniture in study rooms and at home, poor lighting with an incorrect daily routine, in which little attention is paid to walks in the fresh air with mandatory physical activity, good sleep and preventive exercises for the eyes.

Also, a large role in the pathogenesis of the occurrence of spasm of accommodation in pediatrics is played by:

asthenia and VVD;
malnutrition and hypovitaminosis;
vertebrobasilar insufficiency;
scoliosis and juvenile osteochondrosis;
hormonal changes in the body and metabolic disorders;
circulatory disorders;
untimely diagnosed congenital pathologies of the organ of vision;
decrease in the immunological reactivity of the body.

With a combination of several factors, the eye muscles overstrain, and their spasm occurs. Depending on its duration, attentive parents notice visible signs of eye fatigue:

redness of the sclera and conjunctiva;
lacrimation;
frequent blinking;
squinting when looking into the distance;
doubling and fuzziness of objects.

Often the child complains of increased fatigue, pain, burning or pain in the eyes, headaches, becomes irritable, and as a result, school performance decreases.

It is important to remember that a prolonged spasm of accommodation often turns into persistent myopia in children, and with intensive growth of the whole organism, including the organ of vision, there is a progressive decrease in visual acuity, leading to moderate and high degrees of myopia in schoolchildren.

Much depends on the general health of the child and the impact of external aggravating factors.

In children, in addition to all of the above factors, the following are of great importance in the occurrence of spasm of accommodation: hereditary burden, the presence of various chronic infections (adenoiditis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media) and disorders of the autonomic nervous system.

Therefore, at any age, annual monitoring of visual acuity, a rational daily routine, good nutrition, and preventive gymnastics for the eyes are necessary. And with the appearance of visible signs of "syndrome of tired eyes" in a child - an immediate consultation with an ophthalmologist and the implementation of all recommendations of a specialist.

It must be remembered: if timely diagnosis and treatment of imaginary myopia is not carried out, over time it will definitely turn into true, since spontaneous relaxation of the ciliary muscle is extremely rare.

Treatment

In most cases, the main difficult task of a pediatric ophthalmologist in identifying a spasm of accommodation in a child in a polyclinic is the correct, long-term and persistent treatment in order to eliminate tension in the eye muscles, determine the causes that caused the development of imaginary myopia, strengthen their tone, and constantly monitor the condition, both ciliary muscle and retina.

For each child with an established diagnosis of "accommodation spasm", an individual treatment plan is developed depending on the characteristics of the state of the spasmed ciliary muscle (resistance and duration of the spasm), the general condition of the body, the degree of visual stress, the conditions of study and rest.

The treatment is based on relaxation of the spasm of accommodation - various optical-reflex techniques and medications are used. It must be remembered that after the use of eye drops, which help to relax the ciliary muscle in the eye, visual acuity improves markedly, but this improvement will not last long (in the absence of the use of other methods) and after a while there is a noticeable and progressive loss of vision. This is due to the artificial relaxation of the eye muscles, which, without additional training, are weakened even more.

To date, there are a large number of specialized centers equipped with special devices (software and computer module "Relax", devices for magnetic stimulation, electrooculostimulation, color stimulation and laser stimulation of the ciliary muscle), work with diverging prisms, teaching courses of special exercises to strengthen the ciliary muscle, as well as abductor and adductor muscles of the eye - this makes it possible to make the muscles of the eye work correctly.

general improvement of the body (hardening, strengthening the immune system, sanitation of foci of chronic infections);
taking special children's vitamin and mineral complexes for vision, which contain lutein and blueberries ("Children's Lutein Complex", "Blueberries forte");
maintaining a healthy lifestyle with high physical activity (swimming, running, cycling) with sufficient exposure to fresh air.

Prevention of accommodation spasm

You need to know about accommodation spasm that it is not only a reversible functional disorder, which, with timely detection and proper complex therapy, can be successfully treated. But timely prevention of false myopia will eliminate the need for long-term treatment, unnecessary worries, as well as time and money.

The most important point of prevention is the observance of all necessary sanitary and hygienic standards of visual work:

dosed visual load when working near and far;
good illumination of the workplace;
sufficient distance when working with a monitor, reading, professional activities (work of a watchmaker, jeweler, seamstress);
the presence of regular breaks in work;
correct fit and posture;
sufficient physical activity, walks in the fresh air;
compliance with nutritional standards, enrichment of the diet with essential vitamins and microelements (carotene-containing vegetables, vitamin C, E, A, fruits and berries);
preventive performance of special exercises for the eyes, contributing to the relaxation of the eye muscles;
general improvement of the body (hardening, strengthening the immune system, sanitation of foci of chronic infections).

False myopia or spasm of accommodation in adults and children brings a lot of discomfort. But besides this, visual function is disturbed, and a person is not able to normally consider objects located far away. A muscle spasm of one or both eyes is possible, in addition to a decrease in vision, accompanying symptoms are disturbing. The treatment is complex and includes hardware training, physiotherapy, laser stimulation and the use of medications.

What's the violation?

The concept of accommodation of the eye refers to a specific function that provides the ability to focus vision at different distances. In the normal state, this mechanism is regulated by three interconnected structures of the visual system - the ciliary muscle, motor zinn ligaments and the lens. When focusing on a far distance, the muscle structures relax, and while looking at nearby objects, the tissues of the accommodative muscle tense up, as a result, the zinn ligaments weaken, which causes the curvature of the lens and refraction to increase. If there is a violation of accommodation, relaxation of the eye muscles is impossible, the visual structures do not adequately perceive the information received, and the person has symptoms of false myopia.

Persistent spasm of the muscles of the eye and optic nerve leads to the fact that the blood supply and nutrition of these structures deteriorates. If such a complication is not treated in a timely manner, the risk of developing chorioretinal dystrophy is high.
Causes
The main reason why accommodation spasm occurs in children and adults is excessive visual load. It is caused by such factors:

Violation of this function of the organs of vision is often caused by the absence of breaks when working at a PC.
long TV viewing;
long work at the computer without breaks;
uncomfortable furniture for classes;
failure to maintain a safe distance while reading and writing;
too bright or, conversely, dim light in the room.

Accommodative paralysis of the muscular structures of the eye in a child may be the result of beriberi, progressive osteochondrosis, vertebrobasilar insufficiency. In adults, this syndrome is rare, because due to physiological changes, age-related farsightedness often develops. Weakness of accommodation is mainly found in people whose work is associated with eye strain and focusing of vision at close range.

Varieties
Eye accommodation is of the following types:
Physiological. With this form, paresis of the ciliary muscle is observed due to prolonged overload of the organs of vision, along the way, a person is diagnosed with farsightedness or astigmatism. Ophthalmic optics and special exercises will help relieve spasm and remove unpleasant symptoms.
Artificial. Caused by uncontrolled use of myotic eye medications. The spasm subsides on its own immediately after discontinuation of these drugs, so treatment of this type of disorder is not required.
Pathological. Occurs against the background of hypermetropia, emmetropia, myopia, accompanied by a persistent decrease in visual acuity.

What symptoms are of concern?

With this pathology, the organs of vision get tired faster than usual.
At the initial stage of development, paralysis of the accommodative muscle is often not accompanied by severe negative symptoms, but as it progresses, the condition worsens. The main symptom of eye spasm is rapid eye fatigue when working with nearby objects, double vision, a feeling of dryness, itching in the eyes. School-age children and adolescents are often bothered by headaches after eye strain, working capacity decreases, mood worsens. Pathological spasm of accommodation is accompanied by attacks of vegetovascular dystonia, migraines, hyperhidrosis of the extremities, and depression.

How is the diagnosis carried out?
If the functionality of the left, right or both eyes is impaired, while accompanying pathological signs are disturbing and there is a persistent decrease in vision, it is urgent to make an appointment with a doctor. The treatment of accommodation spasm will be carried out by an ophthalmologist who will conduct an initial examination and try to find out the causes of the pathology. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment regimen, diagnostic measures such as:
ophthalmoscopy;
determination of visual acuity volume and accommodation reserve;
refractometry;
siascopy;
convergence study.

To identify the root cause of this condition in a child, a visit to a neurologist may be necessary.
In order to accurately determine the causes that provoked a spasm of accommodation in children, an additional consultation of such highly specialized specialists as:
pediatrician;
neurologist;
traumatologist;
orthopedist.

What is the treatment?

Effective drugs
To relieve accommodation paralysis, the doctor prescribes ophthalmic drops. They relax the ciliary muscle, normalizing visual function. Any of the following is considered effective:
"Atropine";
"Midriacil";
"Irifrin".

Improvement usually occurs as early as 3-5 days of use, the duration of therapy can average up to 35 days. Drops help get rid of unpleasant symptoms, improve vision, relieve stress, but it will not work to cure only or the disease. Under the influence of negative factors, the spasm of accommodation can recur, then it will be much more difficult to deal with it.
For the treatment of accommodative spasm, corrective glasses and lenses are not needed. It is enough to complete a full course of drug and hardware therapy. It is important to perform daily therapeutic exercises that will help strengthen the eye muscles.

With the help of laser stimulation, you can painlessly solve the problem of a person.
Modern hardware treatment of accommodation spasm allows achieving tangible results and avoiding surgical intervention. One of the effective methods of removing the accommodation syndrome is the laser correction procedure, which allows you to relieve muscle tension, normalize blood circulation and nutrition of the eye structures. The main advantages of the technique:
non-invasiveness;
hypoallergenicity;
absence of pain and discomfort;
minimum contraindications;
the ability to quickly return to the old life;
no age restrictions;
short rehabilitation period;
long term effect.

In addition to laser stimulation, magnetostimulation and electrooculostimulation are often prescribed. From physiotherapeutic manipulations, preference is given to electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, acupuncture. A general strengthening, relaxing and restoring effect is exerted by manual massage, physiotherapy exercises, and a contrast shower.

Accommodation is the ability of the eye to focus on objects that can be located at any distance from the observer. That is, a person equally well sees objects located both far and near. With a spasm of accommodation, this ability is lost, and everything that is far away begins to blur. Therefore, such a pathology is called false myopia: it is not visible into the distance, but when the spasm is removed, vision is restored. What can take it off?

The lens of the eye is a unique biological lens that can change its optical power depending on how far away the object that the person is looking at is. The lens can change shape:

It is almost round when strained, when the eyes try to look at closely spaced objects;
It is almost completely flat when relaxed when looking at distant objects.

The change in the shape of the lens is regulated by the ciliary muscle. Sometimes she can spasm. In this case, the lens is forced to be in a spherical state, and the eyes cannot focus on distant objects.

Causes of ciliary muscle spasm

Spasm of accommodation is usually temporary. It can be observed in the following cases:

Eye fatigue caused by watching TV and working at a computer for a long time (especially with an improper fit);
Poor lighting with intense eye work, or vice versa - too bright;
Violations of the regime of the day (skipping walks on the street, lack of sleep);
Lack of vitamins and minerals (malnutrition);
Underdevelopment of the muscular apparatus of the back and neck;
Diseases of the spinal column.

As we age, the lens changes and becomes less elastic. Therefore, the ability of the ciliary muscle to contract is weakened, and farsightedness develops. In this case, accommodation spasm is a rare occurrence. It usually occurs in young and mature people.

Symptoms of false myopia

If there is a spasm of the ciliary muscle, it means that it cannot relax. Symptoms indicating a spasm of accommodation are as follows:

Burning and cutting;
eye fatigue;
Visual acuity falls (especially far away);
The outer shells of the eye turn red, the vessels appear;
Lachrymation appears (sometimes on the contrary - dryness);
A person experiences a headache, he becomes irritable.

Sometimes the symptoms are joined by: hand tremor, depression and vegetovascular dystonia (characterized by low blood pressure). If you do not give your eyes a rest and do not start treatment for spasm of the ciliary muscle, then over time the pathology will become not false, but true myopia, or myopia. Then it will be more difficult to fight for the quality of vision.

Methods for the treatment of spasm of accommodation

Treatment of spasm of accommodation is exclusively conservative. It cannot be associated with surgery, as it will not give any effect. Ophthalmologists usually prescribe drops to patients to relieve spasm of accommodation. But besides this, treatment should include:

Proper nutrition (or addition to the diet in the form of vitamin and mineral complexes, dietary supplements);
Relaxing exercises for the ciliary muscle (solarization, palming);
Accommodation training exercises (all exercises related to observing an object that changes its position in space, or focusing on objects that are distant from each other);
Eye massage.

Attention! Do not use eye drops to relax accommodation without a doctor's prescription. First, contact an ophthalmologist, and only after the diagnosis of “false myopia” can it be possible to choose medications that relieve spasm.

Overview of drops to relieve spasm of the ciliary muscle

Spasm of accommodation is treated with drops belonging to the group of indirect mydriatics. They relax the orbicularis iris muscle and the ciliary muscle, which regulates the shape of the lens. Consider the drops that are used in ophthalmic practice for false myopia.

Atropine

Relieves spasm quickly. Its action begins already 1-2 minutes after application. The effect can last for days - up to 10 days. The active ingredient of the drug is atropine. It is very strong and toxic, and also causes many adverse reactions. Among them, the most common are:

redness of the eyes;
Pain and burning;
Dryness;
Puffiness of the eyelids;
Photophobia;
blurred vision;
Increased intraocular pressure;
Myiasis (constriction of pupils) after cessation of action.

In this regard, Atropine can only be used in adults and only under the strict supervision of a physician. The drug is contraindicated in glaucoma and individual intolerance to the active ingredient.

Irifrin

These are milder eye drops. The active substance is phenylephrine. There is also an analogue of Irifrin with a name that matches the name of the most active component - Phenylephrine.

Irifrin is contraindicated if the patient has:

Glaucoma;
Hyperthyroidism;
Severe diseases of the cardiovascular system;
Violations of hemoglobin metabolism of the congenital form;
Individual intolerance to the composition of the drug.

Eye drops Irifrin and Phenylephrine are available with a concentration of the main substance of 2.5% and 10%. A low concentration is suitable for the treatment of accommodation spasm in children, including newborns. 10% means can be used by children from 12 years old (with sufficient body weight) and adults. Depending on what concentration of the drug is used, as well as on its dosage, the duration of the drug will vary from 2 to 7 hours.

Side effects are similar to Atropine, but they are less pronounced and pass faster.

Midriacil

The active ingredient in Midriacil is tropicamide. Based on this component, two more drugs have been developed - these are Tropicamide and Midrum. Their duration is about 6 hours. The effect occurs already 5-10 minutes after instillation.

Midriacil and its active ingredient analogues can be used even in children. But provided that there are no contraindications, which include:

Glaucoma;
Allergy to the composition of the drug.

Side effects are similar to other drops from the mydriatic group.

Cyclomed

The active component of Cyclomed is the substance cyclopentolate. It works gently but effectively. The effect of the drug occurs 15-30 minutes after application, but lasts from 6 to 12 hours. However, Cyclomed does not work well if a person has a dark color of the iris. Therefore, it is better for them to choose other means.

Side effects of Cyclomed are the same as for all mydriatics. And the contraindications include:

Increased intraocular pressure;
Individual intolerance to the active substance.

With caution, the drug is used for children under 3 years of age. It is undesirable to use the drug in people with an overgrown prostate gland and intestinal obstruction.

Attention! There are consonant names for eye drops. These are Tsiprolet and Tsipromed. They have a bactericidal effect and do not belong to the group of mydriatics, therefore they will not be able to relieve the spasm of accommodation. Do not confuse the names and clearly say at the pharmacy that you need Cyclomed (mydriatic).

Drops and other drugs with lutein

This is the only drug from this list that has nothing to do with mydriatics. The active substance is lutein, but the name of the drugs may be different, although they always contain this word. Typically, lutein is part of vitamin and mineral complexes designed specifically for eye health.

Unlike mydriatic drops, lutein products do not dilate the pupils, since they do not affect either the circular or radial muscles of the eye. The active ingredient specifically relaxes the ciliary muscle and relaxes the lens. The action is very mild, and the preparations themselves are made on the basis of natural ingredients. Therefore, they have no contraindications and side effects (except for an allergic reaction in rare cases), and can be used even for children after consultation with an ophthalmologist.

Prevention of false myopia

To prevent spasm of accommodation, take preventive measures:

Take a break from your computer every half hour or at least once an hour. The break must be at least 5 minutes. It is better to dedicate it to relaxing exercises for the eyes;
Monitor the brightness of the computer screen and the illumination of the workplace. Too much brightness or dimness can be equally bad for the eyes;
Make sure you are seated correctly at the computer. The back, neck and head should be straight, the middle line of the monitor should be at eye level, the shoulders should be straightened and relaxed, and there should be 60-70 centimeters between the eyes and the screen;
Train your eyes by choosing the best set of exercises for you together with your doctor;
If you have an elevated body temperature, ease the strain on your eyes.

Among drug therapy for accommodation spasm, drops are the main way to solve the problem. However, they only help as long as treatment continues. After its completion, if you do not change your lifestyle, the signs of false myopia will return. And this threatens with a real deterioration in vision and the need to correct it in the future with glasses or contact lenses.

Such a pathology as a spasm of accommodation is a violation of the work of the eye muscle, which is responsible for adjusting the curvature of the lens. These disorders cause a loss of focus on individual objects or images that are located at different distances from a person. There are drops to relieve spasm of accommodation, but they must be used after consulting a doctor.

The human eye is a rather complex organ responsible for one of the types of perception, that is, visual. The work of the eye can be compared to binoculars or a microscope, which is able to change the sharpness of the image.

In the human eye, the ciliary muscle is responsible for changing the sharpness, which works much like a wheel in mechanical optics.

That is, with the help of this muscle, the eye lens is able to move, thereby focusing the sharpness of the image on the retina.

The principle of operation of this muscle is extremely simple and understandable, for example, if a person needs to look at images or objects that are far away, then the muscle is weakened, which allows the lens to become flatter. And if a person looks at images or objects that are close, then the ciliary muscle begins to tighten, thereby making the lens more convex.

However, excessively frequent tension of this muscle of the eye leads to the fact that it has fatigue. Due to the so-called fatigue of the ciliary muscle, the focus of the eye begins to deteriorate dramatically. However, do not panic, as this pathology is curable.

Spasm of accommodation is also known as false myopia. If this pathology is detected, you should immediately seek treatment from a highly qualified ophthalmologist. If the treatment is ignored, then this can lead to a more serious disease - myopia.

Causes of accommodation spasm

Spasm of accommodation can occur due to the following factors:

artificial factor. Occurs due to side effects of drugs.
pathological factor. It occurs due to a long stay in front of the TV, computer; problems with blood circulation of the spinal cord, malnutrition, bad habits, etc.
physiological factor. Occurs due to astigmatism.

In addition, spasm of accommodation may occur due to traumatic brain injury, hormonal imbalance, eye injury.

The main signs of this pathology:

Rapid eye fatigue during close vision work.
Periodic pain, burning, redness of the eyes.
Deteriorated focus on subjects that are located at close range. And objects that are at a far distance have a very blurry appearance or bifurcation.
Periodic headaches.
Turbidity in the eyes.

Drugs to relieve spasm of accommodation

Eye drops help to relax the ciliary muscle, thereby relieving unpleasant symptoms. Approximate treatment is about a month, after which this pathology should disappear.

For the treatment of spasm of accommodation, the following eye drops are changed:

Irifrin. Designed to expand the ciliary muscle of the eye and eliminate the symptoms of the so-called false myopia.
Midriacil. Allows you to remove irritation, and also affects the ciliary muscle of the eye, which leads to its further relaxation.
lutein. It acts directly on the eye ciliary muscle, which leads to the removal of tension and the elimination of symptoms of pathology. These drops can be used to treat a child under the age of 12, but only after consultation with an ophthalmologist.

Tropicamide. Drops are intended for the treatment of false myopia for children from 12 years of age.
Cyclomed. The drug in the form of drops is intended to relieve symptoms such as redness of the eyes, itching, cramps or burning, and it is also used in the treatment of ciliary muscle.
Atropine. It is used to eliminate eye irritation and prevent the occurrence of this phenomenon.

All these drugs are able to relax the ciliary muscle of the eye, which, after about two to three weeks of treatment, eliminates the spasm of accommodation. But such a phenomenon will return again after a certain period of time, therefore, complex treatment is needed that will completely eliminate this ailment.

However, it should be borne in mind that unauthorized treatment with these drugs without prior consultation with an ophthalmologist specialist can lead to unpleasant consequences. Treatment with such drugs without the necessary knowledge can cause side effects that can also harm the human body.

Treatment of spasm of accommodation

In order to get rid of such an ailment, ophthalmologists prescribe a complex treatment to the patient. The first thing an ophthalmologist prescribes is eye medications (Atropine, Irifrin, Midriacil, etc.), which relieve tension from the ciliary muscle, often they are used in drops.

The duration of treatment with drops from false myopia is approximately 7 to 35 days. Drops quite effectively eliminate this problem, but the disease can return again in this case already in a complicated form.

In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to perform the following actions in parallel with the use of medicinal drops:

Do eye exercises regularly.
Spend more time outdoors.
To live an active lifestyle.
Reduce time spent at the computer, TV and other gadgets.
Take foods that improve vision (carrots, blueberries, etc.).

Exercises to eliminate the problem of false myopia:

Blink continuously at an accelerated pace for about 45-60 seconds, after which it is necessary to do a light massage through the eyelids, rotating them in a circle with your fingers.
Rotate the eyeballs clockwise and counterclockwise 10 times. It is necessary to repeat the procedure 5-6 times, with an interval of 30 seconds.
Quickly focus vision on objects that are at different distances. Do the exercise for 3-4 minutes.

Take a pen, then focus your eyes on it and move this object back and forth, while not stopping to follow it.

In addition, in order to minimize the harm from being at the computer, it is necessary that the monitor be slightly below the eyes, while the distance should be at least 65-70 centimeters. In addition, it is recommended to wear special glasses in order to minimize the harm from prolonged viewing of TV or staying at the computer.

Spasm of accommodation is a fairly common phenomenon that significantly reduces the quality of life and therefore needs to be addressed in a timely manner. Treatment of this pathology, in most cases, is carried out with the help of special drops that help to relax the muscles. If the disease is not eliminated in time, it can provoke the occurrence of more serious problems.