Ritwika Chowdhury, Team BioXone
In today’s times, infections and casualties have become synonymous to the pandemic. People are scared to step out of their houses, if not for an emergency. In such a situation another rising problem that is taking shape gradually is the vision impairment.
The WHO theme for World Sight Day 2020 is “hope in sight”. The majority of people with vision impairment or blindness is above the age of 50. Cataract, refractive error, or glaucoma are the most common causative factors.
To begin with, we shall discuss the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). It is an important rising cause of blindness observed in neonates in our country which may affect about 20% of babies who are born prematurely, have a low weight during birth or have received intensive neonatal care after birth. The preterm baby must undergo a routine screening by a trained ophthalmologist for early detection of sight-threatening ROP. Retinal laser or surgical therapy must be done if needed for preventing vision loss in these neonates.
The one’s at a higher risk end are diabetic patients. They need a regular examination of the eye. They are vulnerable to retinopathy wherein bleeding into the eye cavity can cause loss of eyesight. An ophthalmic examination can be the only way to detect the problem.
Another point of concern is Cataract surgery. If they are left undone for long can cause an increase in hardness of cataract and impair sight to an extent of disability.
Age-related macular degeneration is a condition in which elderly patients slowly lose sight at the centre of the visual field. This condition is very common in smokers, a diet deficient in antioxidants and some hereditary factors.
Another important factor for avoidable blindness is delayed consultation in eye infections, fungal, bacterial or viral infections cause corneal ulcerations.
Maintaining a balanced diet is very important to keep good eyesight. Avoidance of smoking and regular checkups are also a must.
Also read: Take care of the Aged – Dementia in the UK
Suggested read: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/world-sight-day-2020-eye-care-in-times-of-covid-19
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