A recent study showed that doctors can detect a deadly disease by looking at a person’s eyes. Scientists also found that the eyes of an infected person can even serve as a source for the spread of the disease.
How can eyes indicate a deadly disease?
Researchers at the University of California in recent studies have found that it is possible to detect a deadly disease. Doctors published the results of their study in the English-language magazine mBio.
There is no effective treatment for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, despite modern medicine. The disease is very rare, but, unfortunately, ends with the death of each person, experts explain.
According to doctors, the eyes of an infected person can serve as a carrier for the spread of the disease, as well as help in the diagnosis.
A person becomes infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease through food
A few months ago, a medical journal reported a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) associated with eating protein. CJD is a rare disease in which certain proteins in the brain do not fold properly. This deposition of atypical protein fragments is called "prions."
Prions cause spongy destruction of brain tissue. In this particular case, it was assumed that the patient's disease was the result of eating meat. The protein in this meat comes in contact with the brain matter of the animal.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmitted through the eyes?
Other cases have already shown that substance intake can lead to the spread of the disease. A new study suggests that the eyes of an infected person also carry prions. This is a particular cause for concern for professionals who care for other people's eyes.
Doctors who perform eye surgery can distribute prions if the medical devices are dirty and not disposed of.
A total of 11 patients who died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease had eyes examined for prions.
According to doctors, the number of detected prions was quite high. Most of the so-called "prion seeds" were found in the retina of each eye. However, prions have also been found in many other parts of the eye, such as the lens.
In the future, researchers hope they can study the tears of patients with Kreutzfeldt-Jacob in more detail. Therefore, they want to determine if prions are present in the secretion of fluid from the eyes. Tears can also lead to the spread of the disease to other people.
What symptoms help diagnose the disease at an early stage?
If the disease is transmitted by eating beef, the average incubation period is 12.6 years. Patients usually have the first psychological symptoms after 2-4 months - depression, delirium, mood swings, or anxiety.
Even at this early stage, short-term memory is impaired. Patients complain of fatigue, mental symptoms gradually worsen and, as a rule, do not respond to medical treatment.
After a few months, in most cases there is constant pain throughout the body, as well as dizziness and nausea.
Subsequently, coordination problems and other motor disorders are observed. Violation of muscle tone causes pain in the limbs, and typical fast-progressing dementia comes to the fore.
The disease is acute and leads to the fact that in just a few months the whole brain is destroyed. Patients refuse food and can only eat through a nasogastric tube. Sometimes patients die from autonomic disorders or fall into a coma at the last stage.
At an early stage, some patients experience specific changes in eye color. Sometimes there is nystagmus - involuntary fluctuations in the eyes of a high frequency. Nystagmus is accompanied by severe short-term dizziness.
In the future, the disease can be detected with a simple tear fluid test. According to the researchers, the analysis reveals the disease in 97% of cases. If you suspect a disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
