Yesterday was the World Sight Day, and the
focus is on the need to demystify blindness as the scourge of humanity.
This is because blindness is regarded as one of the chronic health
problems that anyone can suffer from.
While blindness may be caused by a
myriad of problems, which are sometimes preventable, the bitter truth is
that when it happens, life not only changes for the victim — especially
where both eyes are affected —those around him will also feel the pain,
even if psychologically.
Continue reading after the cut....
Eye-catching statistics
According to the World Health
Organisation, 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired
worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision.
Sad to say, about 90 per cent of the
world’s visually impaired live in developing countries; and 82 per cent
of people living with blindness are aged 50 and above.
The WHO notes that globally, uncorrected
refractive errors (when the eye cannot clearly focus the images) are
the main cause of visual impairment; while cataracts remain the leading
cause of blindness in middle- and low-income countries.
And though the number of people that are
visually impaired from infectious diseases has greatly reduced in the
last 20 years, experts say 80 per cent of all visual impairment can be
avoided or cured.
Levels of visual function
According to the International
Classification of Diseases, there are four levels of visual function,
and they are: normal vision, moderate visual impairment, severe visual
impairment and blindness.
The ICD notes that moderate visual
impairment, combined with severe visual impairment, are grouped under
the term “low vision.” When low vision is taken together with blindness,
it represents all visual impairment.
Why people go blind
Physicians say globally, uncorrected
refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism are
responsible for visual impairment in about 43 per cent of cases.
Unoperated cataract is responsible for 33 per cent; while glaucoma is
responsible for blindness in two per cent of cases.
Physicians say some debilitating
diseases can also result in blindness if they are not attended to with
the seriousness they deserve.
They include the following:
Diabetes
A Diabetologist/Medical Director of
Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki Phase 1, Dr. Afokoghene
Isiavwe, says diabetes, when neglected, may result in many health
complications, including vision impairment or outright blindness.
She warns that people with diabetes have
a higher risk of blindness as a result of what she calls “diabetic
retinopathy.” She says, “Diabetic retinopathy is the most common
diabetic eye disease and may lead to blindness if left untreated.”
Experts warn that approximately 80 per
cent of all patients who have had diabetes for at least 10 years risk
some degree of diabetic retinopathy.
“Diabetic retinopathy is the damage to
the retina (the light-sensitive membrane that covers the back of the
eye), specifically blood vessels in the retina, caused by complications
of diabetes mellitus; and it can eventually lead to blindness if left
untreated,” Isiavwe warns.
An ophthalmologist, Dr. Yinka Aburi, says if diagnosed and treated early, diabetes-related blindness is usually preventable.
Glaucoma
Aburi says glaucoma is a term that
describes a group of eye conditions that lead to damage to the optic
nerve as a result of increasing pressure in the eye.
The eye physician explains further,
“Sometimes, the cause is unknown — as in the case of chronic glaucoma,
which tends to run in families and painlessly and slowly damages vision.
“Another class of the disease, called
acute glaucoma, occurs when the exit of the aqueous humor fluid is
suddenly blocked. This causes a quick, severe, and painful rise in the
pressure in the eye. It is a medical emergency that must not be
ignored.”
Aburi adds that when an eye suffers
acute glaucoma, it soon affects the second eye, hence the need to act
swiftly. “Even eye drops that dilate the eyes, and certain medications,
may trigger an acute glaucoma attack,” Aburi warns.
Among babies, Aburi contends, congenital
glaucoma happens because it often runs in families and is present at
birth. “It is caused by abnormal eye development,” he says.
Physicians warn that certain drugs, such
as corticosteroids, can cause secondary glaucoma. Ditto some eye
diseases such as uveitis (swelling and irritation of the uvea, the
middle layer of the eye), trauma, and some systemic diseases — which
affect a number of organs and tissues, or affect the body as a whole.
“That’s why regular eye check-up is
absolutely necessary for people of all ages, and especially for those
who are ageing,” Aburi counsels.
Macular degeneration
Aburi describes this as a medical
condition that usually affects older adults and results in a loss of
vision in the centre of the visual field. “The condition is rare before
age 55, but it is most often seen in adults 75 years or older,” he
enthuses.
He explains that age-related macular
degeneration usually affects both eyes, though the level of its
progression can vary from eye to eye. “Age, smoking, high fat diet,
obesity and a family history of AMD are known to increase the risk of
developing the condition,” he warns.
Sadly, Aburi warns, there is currently
no cure for dry AMD. As such, treatment is mostly based on helping
victims make the most of their remaining vision, such as using
magnifying lenses to read.
Cataracts
Aburi says this is a condition that
clouds the lens inside the eye and leads to a decrease in vision. “It is
most commonly due to biological ageing and it is the most common cause
of blindness, though it is absolutely treatable,” the doctor says.
“Other causes of blindness include
blocked blood vessels, complications of premature birth, complications
of eye surgery, lazy eye syndrome, stroke, and certain types of tumors,”
Aburi adds.
Food for the eye
Nutritionists say diets rich in fruit
and green, leafy vegetables can promote eye health. Feast on them, as
there’s plenty benefits to get from them.
Share your thoughts...thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment