12 Million People In India With Preventable Blindness

Regardless of their economic status, everyone is equally susceptible to eye problems. It is important to have regular eye checkups, even if you don’t have a problem. This can help intercept serious visual problems. According to WHO, there are 12 million people in India with preventable blindness.

In Mumbai, a common complaint is dry eyes, caused by the weather, pollution and excessive use of computers, for which eye drops and ointments are available. Computer users don’t blink enough (computer vision syndrome) so they must move their eyes away from the screen every hour.

Mumbai also has a high population of diabetics, who are prone to retinopathy. If left untreated, it can cause blindness, so diabetics must have their eyes examined regularly.

Eye care through the ages

Retinopathy of prematurity: Potentially blinding disorder that affects premature babies, born before 31 weeks, and weighing less than 1.2kg. Most effective treatments are laser therapy or cryotherapy.

Lazy eye: Loss or lack of development of central vision in one eye, to which school children are at higher risk. Can result from a failure to use both eyes together, and is not correctable with lenses. Lazy eye usually develops before age six and does not affect side vision. Treatment for lazy eye may include a combination of prescription lenses, prisms, vision therapy and eye patching.

Refractive error: Common eye problem for teenagers, it can be corrected with refractive eye surgery or eyeglasses or contact lenses. Chance of retinal detachment increases with myopia, so myopic patients should check their eyes routinely.

Cataract: Affects people over 55 years of age, and results in blurred or distorted vision. It is operable. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in old age. Most people with macular degeneration have the dry form, for which there is no known treatment. The wet form may respond to laser procedures, if diagnosed and treated early.

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