Blind eye & bull; hello healthy

Definition

Is that blind?

Blindness is a condition when a person's vision disappears partly or completely. Partial blindness is called partial blindness, while blindness that causes the eye to not see at all is complete blindness.

In partial blindness, you may have blurred vision, so you can't recognize objects properly. Meanwhile,

Blindness is a very frightening condition for many people. But for some people, it is an inevitable reality. In this world, countless people face negative changes in their vision abilities. If you are still able to read today, then you are very lucky.

How common is this condition?

Blindness is a fairly common condition. In 2015, it is estimated that there are 253 million people worldwide with visual impairments, of which 36 million people have blind eyes and 217 million suffer from moderate to severe visual impairment.

Meanwhile, according to data from the Ministry of Health in 2013, as many as 900 thousand Indonesians are blind, while around 2.1 million have severe visual impairment.

In addition, according to WHO, most cases of blindness are found in people aged 50 years and over. However, it is possible that blind eyes can be experienced at all ages.

Blindness and visual impairment are also common in countries with inadequate health facilities.

Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of blindness?

If you are totally or completely blind, you will not be able to see at all. However, if you have partial blindness or you have severe vision problems, these are some of the possible symptoms:

• Shadowed or foggy vision
• Blurry vision
• There are some parts that are not visible to the eye, such as the middle or the edges
• Trouble seeing at night
• The eye lens looks cloudy and has blotches or blemishes
• Red eye
• The eye feels sore and uncomfortable

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, do not delay the time to see an eye specialist.

In some cases, such as blindness caused by glaucoma, eye disorders are sometimes not accompanied by any symptoms. Therefore, it is important to have regular eye examinations to avoid the risk of blindness.

Cause

What causes blindness?

Blind eye is a condition that can be caused by various diseases or disorders of the eye. However, basically, damage to the eye is the main cause of blindness.

Damage to the eye can result from a pre-existing disease, or an injury that affects the eye. Here are some of the most common causes of blindness:

1. Cataracts

Cataracts are the appearance of spots or stains on the lens of the eye, so that vision is impaired. Most cataract conditions develop slowly and will affect vision over time.

2. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an optic nerve damage caused by increased pressure on the eyeball. This condition is difficult to detect at an early stage because it often does not cause any symptoms.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in people aged 60 years and over. This disease can indeed attack at any age, but the most common cases are found in old age.

3. Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is also a common visual disorder found in older people. Similar to glaucoma, macular degeneration is a very common cause of blindness in the age 50 and over.

This condition occurs when one part of the retina, called the macula, is damaged. Blindness due to macular degeneration usually begins with a loss of vision in the center.

4. Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the common complications of diabetes. This condition is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina.

This condition may not cause any symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, the ability to see decreases too.

5. Toxic optic neuropathy

Toxic optic neuropathy is a visual disturbance caused by poisoning due to certain substances. If this condition is not treated quickly and appropriately, it will lead to blindness.

Some substances that have the potential to cause poisoning to the eyes are as follows:

• Alcohol
• Uncontrolled use of high doses of drugs over a long period of time
• Cigarettes
• Heavy metals such as lead and mercury

6. Improper use of steroid drops

Careless use of eye drops can increase the risk of glaucoma and blindness. This risk is higher in the use of steroid eye drops, especially if they are not used according to a doctor's prescription.

Steroid eye medication used daily and over a long period of time increases the build-up of glycosaminoglycan, the main structural component of the cartilage found in the cornea. This buildup of glycosaminoglycans will block the flow of fluid in the eye.

Because the flow of fluid in the eye is blocked due to the blockage, it causes the pressure in the eyeball to increase and causes glaucoma. As a result, over time the area of ​​view will become narrower. If this condition is left for too long, it can lead to blindness.

7. Other causes

In addition to the conditions above, blind eyes can also be caused by the following things:

• Blockage of blood vessels
• Premature birth complications (retrolental fibroplasia)
• Complications from eye surgery
• Lazy eye (amblyopia)
• Optic neuritis
• Stroke
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Eye tumors or cancer, such as retinoblastoma or optic glioma
• Trauma or severe injury to the eye
• Severe eye infection, such as endophthalmitis

Diagnosis and treatment

How is the blind diagnosis process?

Diagnostic tests aim to find out what is the main cause of your blindness, both in cases of partial and total blindness.

During the diagnosis, the doctor will undergo a series of tests to determine the acuity of your vision, the function of your eye muscles, and how the pupils react to light.

Examination is carried out using a slit lamp microscope or slit lamp . The microscope is equipped with a high power light, so that the doctor can clearly examine the part of your eye.

How to treat blind eyes?

Treatment for blindness depends on the cause. For example, for cases such as cataracts, surgery can be cured. For cases caused by inflammation and infection, it can be cured with medication in the form of drops or pills. Corneal transplants can also help people who have vision loss due to corneal scarring.

Although 80% of cases of vision problems can be prevented or cured, there are still 20% of cases that cannot be cured. These cases usually occur in people who are dealing with gradual loss of vision until they are completely blind.

Retinal degeneration disorders cannot be cured, because they break down the layers of tissue that contain light-detecting cells. There are a number of degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher's syndrome.

The cure for lost vision depends on the cause as well. Patients who lose vision due to optic nerve damage or stroke usually cannot be cured. Patients with long-lasting retinal detachments, in general, cannot be repaired by the surgical repair of the ablation. Patients who have corneal scarring usually have a good chance of a cure if they can seek treatment after surgery.

In addition, people who are totally blind certainly need to make various changes in several aspects of their life. Some examples are learning to read Braille, rearranging household items, and folding money in certain ways to make it easier to find.

Prevention

How to prevent blindness?

Here are some simple steps you can take to maintain eye health, such as:

• Do not smoke. Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of developing cataracts, optic nerve damage, and associated macular degeneration.
• Eating nutritious foods, namely containing lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins A, C, E, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc.
• Clean hands and contact lenses properly to reduce the risk of eye infections.
• Knowing the family history of eye health. Many serious eye disorders are hereditary, such as retinitis pigmentosa.
• Take regular eye exams.

Even though there are advanced technologies that can cure some eye diseases, if we can prevent them, it can provide many benefits in the future. Just as the saying goes "prevention is better than cure".