Accomodative Dysfunction

Accommodation is the eye’s ability to change its focus from distant objects to near objects. This is dependent on the flexibility of the crystalline lens. Physiologically the lens loses its flexibility with age so people from 40years and above have difficulty in focusing on near objects. There are other factors that will cause accommodation to be dysfunctional and this work is based on such factors. What then is accommodative dysfunction?

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Accommodative dysfunction is a medical term used to describe a situation where one has a problem with their focusing system which is not associated with aging. Various forms of accommodative dysfunctions exist and these include accommodative insufficiency, paralysis of accommodation, accommodative spasms, accommodative infacility and fatigue of accommodation also classified accommodative dysfunctions under three main umbrellas; accommodative insufficiency, accommodative excess and accommodative infacility.

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TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIVE DYSFUNCTIONS AND THEIR CAUSES
• Accommodative insufficiency occurs when the amplitude of accommodation (AA) is lower than expected for the patient's age and is not due reduced flexibility of the crystalline lens. Patients with accommodative insufficiency usually demonstrate poor accommodative sustaining ability.

• Accommodative infacility occurs when the accommodative system is slow in making a change, or when there is a considerable lag between the stimulus to accommodation and the accommodative response. The patient often reports blurred distance vision immediately after sustained near work. Some have considered this infacility to be a precursor to myopia.

• Accommodative spasm occurs when there is overstimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, spasm of accommodation may be associated with fatigue. It is sometimes part of a triad (over accommodation, over convergence, and miotic pupils) known as spasm of the near reflex (SNR). This condition may also result from other causes, such as the use of either systemic or topical cholinergic drugs, trauma, brain tumour, or myasthenia gravis.

• Paralysis of accommodation is a rare condition in which the accommodative system fails to respond to any stimulus. It can be caused by the use of cycloplegic drugs, trauma, ocular or systemic disease, toxicity or poisoning. The condition, which can be unilateral or bilateral, may be associated with a fixed, dilated pupil.

• Ill-sustained accommodation is a condition in which the AA is normal, but fatigue occurs with repeated accommodative stimulation.

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Accommodative dysfunction is commonly encountered in paediatric eye care meaning children are affected the most with accommodative insufficiency and accommodative infacility being the most common ones. Some children may not be able to complete reading task or assignments and may be easily distracted or be inattentive in class as a result of accommodative dysfunctions

What is @bettervision about?

@bettervision is is a project initiated by @nattybongo and friends to give back to the society the knowledge and skill acquired through the Optometric Studies in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.It is an outreach system where we visit the less privileged communities to offer free eye screening services and education to the people within the community

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To reduce or prevent vision loss through diseases such as glaucoma, cataract and refractive errors.

To enlighten the majority of the Ghanaian population about the importance of proper visual care.

To conscientize people on the need for regular eye checks

To get more people to have their wards screened within the Critical periods of a Child’s Vision Development; thus from ages 3 to till about 10 years.

To help the blind and people with low vision live a better life within the society through education of the general public to stop stigmatization.

To help in the fight of extreme poverty that puts the health of people at risk

Our greatest gratitude goes to @fundition @adollaraday @surfyogi @girlsfoundation @bleepcoin @ackza @indigoocean @nanzo-scoop @steemstem @demotruk @pennsif @steem-ambassador @kasho and @wafrica for helping to make the aims and objectives of @bettervision a reality.