Risk of permanent vision loss due to abuse of eye drops containing corticosteroids

Ms. Linh (36 years old, Hanoi) was shocked to receive a diagnosis of cataracts and glaucoma in both eyes, and the risk of permanent vision loss due to prolonged use of eye drops containing corticosteroids.

According to the sharing, Ms. Linh has been using an eye drop of unknown name, opaque white color for about 10 years. The doctor diagnosed Ms. Linh with posterior subcapsular cataract and secondary glaucoma due to prolonged use of corticosteroids without proper indications.

Surgeons replace the patient's lens.

“The time I started having blurred vision coincided with the time I was pregnant and gave birth. I subjectively thought that my blurred vision was due to being tired from taking care of my child, so I didn’t go to the doctor early. I didn’t expect my condition to be so serious,” Linh was shocked when she received the doctor’s conclusion.

Associate Professor Bui Thi Van Anh, Head of Phaco and Anterior Ocular Diseases Department, Tam Anh High-Tech Eye Center, shared that cataracts are common in people over 50, especially posterior subcapsular cataracts that usually only appear in patients who have had surgery to replace the lens with an artificial lens.

A case like Ms. Linh's is quite rare because the patient is young and has never had any eye surgery before. The cause was determined to be the prolonged use of eye drops containing corticosteroids, which causes cataracts and glaucoma to appear earlier in young people.

According to Associate Professor Van Anh, cataracts and glaucoma tend to worsen, and patients will gradually lose their vision and ability to see if they do not receive treatment.

Ms. Linh needs to have her lens replaced soon (phaco surgery) to restore her vision and use medication to reduce eye pressure and limit the progression of glaucoma.

After three days, the patient's intraocular pressure stabilized within a safe range. Ms. Linh was indicated for phaco surgery. Phaco is a highly safe surgery, in which the doctor removes the cloudy natural lens and replaces it with an IOL lens, thereby restoring the patient's vision. In Ms. Linh's case, she had a history of high intraocular pressure and damaged optic nerves, making phaco surgery more complicated.

Ms. Linh had the lens replaced in each eye in two consecutive days, each surgery only lasting 7 minutes. The result was that vision was restored, clear, and eye pressure decreased. However, the patient was still prescribed medication and regular monitoring to control and prevent the progression of glaucoma.

Associate Professor Van Anh said that many people have the habit of using eye drops to clean and increase moisture for their eyes but do not research and look up the ingredients of the medicine, and arbitrarily buy the medicine without medical instructions. Corticoid is an ingredient used a lot in modern medicine, which has the effect of reducing many disease symptoms.

Corticosteroid eye drops have the effect of quickly reducing pain, anti-inflammation and constricting blood vessels, but should be used with caution and under the direction of a doctor. Drug abuse causes many serious complications, affecting vision: increased eye pressure, cataracts as in Ms. Linh's case.

Symptoms of eye diseases are quite vague in the early stages, so everyone should have regular eye exams to check and evaluate eye health, or have a follow-up exam as directed by a doctor in case of eye disease treatment or underlying diseases affecting the eyes such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

When you see signs of blurred vision or distorted vision, you should see an eye specialist for timely diagnosis and intervention, Associate Professor Van Anh recommends.

People using eye medications containing corticosteroids should be aware of some side effects of the medication such as stinging in the eye area, strange taste in the mouth, swelling of the tongue - lips - mouth, unusual rash on the body...

Source: https://baodautu.vn/nguy-co-mat-thi-luc-vinh-vien-do-lam-dung-thuoc-nho-mat-chua-corticoid-d218853.html