Eye patch

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Eye patches are self-adhesive plaster dressings for the treatment of diseases and injuries to the eyes . Usually opaque plasters for occlusion therapy (occlusion plaster , colloquially also known as strabismus plaster ) are meant. But there are also translucent variants (so-called watch glass bandages ) and sterile eye patches for wound care.

Occlusion therapy

Opaque occlusion plaster

If there is weak vision in one eye ( amblyopia ), during the development and stabilization of visual acuity (from birth to around the age of twelve), the amblyopia can be reduced or, in favorable cases, eliminated by regularly exercising the visually impaired eye. The better seeing eye is covered with an opaque plaster by the hour or by the day. As a result, the poorly seeing eye is "forced" to see and thus trained.

Eye patches for occlusion therapy have a light-tight layer that should exclude light stimuli from the covered eye. The carrier material must adhere securely so that the plaster does not come off by itself. At the same time, however, the plasters must also be well tolerated by the skin, so that no skin irritation occurs, especially when used for a long time. Due to the flat shape (no thick gauze or similar), it is also possible to wear glasses at the same time without any problems.

It is important to choose the correct size of the patch and apply it correctly. The range of eye patches ranges from skin-colored to colorfully patterned. The orthoptist should choose the right eye patch together with the child. An individual selection of the plaster contributes to the motivation of the little patient, and the more fun the child has in and with the plaster, the more likely it is that the therapy will be successful. ( Compliance )

Occlusion treatments can lead to amblyopia (so-called occlusion amblyopia ) if used improperly and incorrectly chosen closure intervals . Therefore, they should only be carried out and checked by specialists. In some cases it may be necessary to occlude the amblyopic, cross-eyed eye ( inverse occlusion) over a certain period of time and in a given rhythm .

In addition to amblyopia treatment , eye patches are used as part of orthoptic differential diagnosis. For example, one eye is taped shut continuously for a few days in order to determine the squint angle immediately after removing the plaster , e.g. B. for the adjustment of prismatic lenses . Eye patches / bandages for this purpose are called a Marlow bandage .

In some cases of persistent diplopia , i.e. permanent perception of double images, an occlusion treatment is carried out in order to eliminate this form of visual disturbance, at least for the duration of the wearing.

Alternatives

For the treatment of amblyopia in particular, there are alternatives of varying effectiveness to plaster occlusion, since "switching off" an eye is also possible in other ways:

Watch glass bandages

Watch glass bandage packed
Watch glass bandage against dehydration in idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis (ICD-10: G51.0)

The watch glass bandage is a transparent plexiglass cap bordered with adhesive plaster for use on the eye . The bandage is mostly used when the eyelid is missing or incomplete ( lagophthalmos ), after an eye operation or in the case of neuroparalytical keratitis , in order to protect the cornea from drying out and external influences without causing further irritation through mechanical irritation. Due to its slight curvature, which is the reason for the name watch glass bandage , it looks like a damp chamber and allows a view of the eye from outside without having to remove the completely closing bandage. In addition, it enables the patient to see through the plexiglass cap, albeit to a limited extent. In some cases, a watch glass bandage is also applied to a healthy eye to protect it from infection from the other eye.

Wound dressings

Sterile eye dressings are used after eye injuries, infections, or operations to protect the eye and aid healing. Eye compresses can be used for this, which are fixed with plaster strips. There are also self-adhesive, sterile plaster bandages that make plaster strips unnecessary. In addition to thick, absorbent mulch pads, there are also flat plasters that can be used to wear glasses. Covering both eyes is required to immobilize one eye.

literature

  • Fritz Hollwich, Bärbel Verbeck: Ophthalmology for nursing professions. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 1980, ISBN 3-13-500402-3 , pp. 15, 36, 44, 170.
  • Herbert Kaufmann (Ed.): Strabismus. 3rd, fundamentally revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 2003, ISBN 3-13-129723-9 .