Blindness due to alcohol

In the production of alcohol, we are first talking about ethanol, the decomposition product of sugar. Yeasts convert sugar, but also other substances such as carbohydrates, which the human body cannot break down itself, into energy. This produces numerous by-products of ethanol, which can be very toxic to the body in various quantities.

Alcohol is generally harmful to the human body and different types of alcohol, such as methanol or isopropanol, can lead to blindness. Both are used as ethanol substitutes, which should actually be used in high quality spirits, or they are produced as a by-product of fermentation. Isopropanol leads to conjunctivitis and mucous membrane irritation, whereas even small amounts of 5-10ml of methanol can cause severe damage to the optic nerve with blindness.In addition, the interaction of alcohol and some medications can cause visual disturbances and temporary disturbances of sensory perception. In addition to blindness, common symptoms of regular alcohol consumption are nausea, headaches, neurological disorders such as memory loss, consciousness and behavioral disorders, massive liver damage, respiratory depression, wetting and hypothermia.

Blindness due to glaucoma

Glaucoma is also known as glaucoma and describes all diseases that lead to a pressure load in the eye and thus to a squeezing or compression of the optic nerve and as a consequence result of which vision is impaired up to a change in the optic nerve papilla, i.e. the place where the optic nerve leaves the eye, as well as total blindness. Glaucoma is caused by a disturbance of the balance between the formation and drainage of water in the eye chambers. Either there is overproduction or there is an obstruction of the outflow, which can lead to an increase in intraocular pressure.

Triggers can be medication, surgery or trauma. Early detection of glaucoma is important to prevent blindness. Indications of glaucoma can be clouding of the cornea or enlargement of the eyes.

Preventive measures, such as measuring intraocular pressure, are also very important, as glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in industrialized countries. As a therapeutic measure, drugs can be given to narrow the pupils and facilitate the drainage of aqueous humor. In addition, there are drugs that inhibit the production of aqueous humor and improve the outflow and blood circulation in the chamber. The improvement of the outflow is also possible surgically by opening the channel provided for this purpose.