45m Persons To Go Blind Globally by 2020 - 6 Things You Can Do To Prevent Avoidable Blindness

According to a report on Vanguard
Newspaper , the President of Nigerian
Optometric Association NOA Dr.
Damian Echendu, has said that no
fewer than forty- five million persons
will go blind by 2020 globally.
Already, it is estimated that about 285
million people are visually impaired
worldwide, 14% of whom are
completely blind representing an
astonishing 39 million people.
Furthermore, it is even more
disheartening that not less than 80%
of these cases of blindness are
preventable or treatable if appropriate
measures are taken towards
addressing the more common causes
of blindness like cataracts, refractive
errors, glaucoma, and diabetes.
According to the International
Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD-10),
four levels of visual function have
been described viz normal vision,
moderate visual impairment, severe
visual impairment and lastly
blindness. Hence, blindness represents
the worst case scenario in the
spectrum of visual function. Moderate
and severe visual impairment are
collectively referred to as Low Vision
whereas blindness essentially refers to
a complete loss of vision.
In the light of the enormous burden of
visual impairment especially in the
developing countries, the World
Health Assembly under the aegis of
the World Health Organization
instituted an action plan to facilitate
universal access to eye health. The
aim was to achieve at least 25%
reduction in the number of cases of
preventable visual impairment by
2019.
Described below are some time-tested
measures that have been shown to be
effective in preventing avoidable
causes of blindness:
1. Keep your blood sugar normal
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by
high blood glucose levels and is one of
the very important causes of
permanent blindness. While you may
not have total control over whether
you develop diabetes or not, the fact
remains that you still have some
control by adopting healthy lifestyles
like regular exercise and good diet
which will go a long way in keeping
your blood sugar within normal limits.
Diabetes mellitus can cause serious
damage to the retina (diabetic
retinopathy) leading to blindness.
Hence, patients with diabetes are
supposed to undergo a thorough eye
examination by a trained physician at
least once a year. Moreover, diabetes
is a potent risk factor for cataracts
which is a leading cause of blindness.
2. Quit Smoking
Smoking damages every organ in the
body and the eyes are no exception.
Research has shown that smoking
increases the likelihood of going blind
in old age by up to four times.
Evidently, it damages different parts
of the eye including the lens
(cataracts), macula (macular
degeneration) and retinal blood
vessels (retinopathy). Furthermore,
research has shown that smokers have
a double risk of developing cataracts
as well as a three-fold risk of Age-
related Macular Degeneration later in
life. Tears produced by the lacrimal
glands are necessary for eye
lubrication and maintaining healthy
eyes. However, tobacco irritates the
eyes and impairs the production of
tears ultimately setting the stage for
visual impairment and eventual
blindness.
3. Avoid Trauma to your Eyes
Trauma - blunt or penetrating is the
leading cause of unilateral blindness
in individuals younger than 45 years.
Penetrating trauma directly
undermines the lens capsule leading
to opacification at the site of injury
and blindness if the rent or tear is
extensive. In the same vein, prolonged
exposure to ionizing radiation also
traumatizes the eye lens and leads to
avoidable blindness.
4. Consume more Vitamins and Minerals
Age-related Macular Degeneration is
another important cause of blindness.
A reduced incidence of Age-related
Macular Degeneration was noted
among individuals who consumed
enough antioxidant vitamins and
minerals including Vitamins A, C, E,
zinc, and copper. Also, lutein (a
carotenoid found in dark leafy green
vegetables), omega-3 fatty acids and
zeaxanthin may also reduce the risk of
Age-related Macular Degeneration.
Sadly, every year, at least half a
million children go blind, no thanks to
deficiency of Vitamin A in their diets
which lead to avoidable night
blindness.
5. Wear the Proper Glasses
Refractive errors (myopia,
hypermetropia, and astigmatism) are
a leading cause of blindness globally.
The good news is they can be readily
corrected by a simple pair of
prescription glasses. It's noteworthy
however that making use of the wrong
type of glasses can even worsen your
vision, hence the need to consult the
optometrist for proper evaluation of
both eyes before suitable glasses are
prescribed.
6. Treat Eye Infections Promptly
Trachoma and Onchocerciasis are the
leading infectious causes of avoidable
blindness and can be readily treated
with appropriate drugs. In a bid to cut
down on the incidence and prevalence
of trachoma-related blindness, the
World Health Organization advocates
the SAFE strategy for trachoma
control. Components of the strategy
include Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial
cleanliness and Environmental
improvement. Fortunately,
medications like azithromycin and
ivermectin have proved effective in
treating trachoma and onchocerciasis
(river blindness) respectively.