A staggering 75 percent of corneal blindness cases in India are going untreated on account of a shortage of eye donors, an expert reported Thursday.
Corneal Blindness is the second leading cause of visual impairment in India. There are currently 1.1 million people affected by the burden. However, only 25,000 of the required corneal transplants are done annually.
This makes it possible for only one out of every four people with corneal blindness to get the needed surgery, while the remaining 75 percent cases are untreated," said an ophthalmologist at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.
Among the reasons for the rise in cases of corneal blindness are an ageing population, higher incidence of corneal infections and injuries.
Other causes of corneal blindness worldwide include vitamin-A deficiency in children, degenerative conditions like keratoconus and corneal dystrophies, congenital opacification of the cornea, and post-surgical complications, according to Dr. Meenakshi Dhar, Head of Ophthalmology at Amrita Hospital.
The symptoms can be variable depending upon the cause of the injury to the cornea. The vast majority of individuals will notice some degree of blurring of vision in the affected eye. Ocular infection causing the scars would normally cause severe eye ache, watering of the eye, redness of the eye, and severe photophobia during its acute phase. Scars on the cornea are usually visible while performing an eye examination," she added.
Some conditions prevalent in India include health care access, environmental conditions, and socioeconomic status, which predispose certain regions to this issue of corneal blindness.
States in India that have the higher prevalence of visual impairment include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, which create the highest demand because of their inadequately placed eye care facilities, lower number of eye donations, or other risk factors such as agricultural injuries and infectious diseases.
In agricultural regions, eye injuries give rise to fungal infections, which accentuate the problem as a whole.
Treatment is done in steps, but the most concrete and advanced stages undergo corneal transplantation. Other options include laser therapy, scleral contact lenses, amniotic membrane transplants, and stem cell therapy.
Prephylaxis, which includes good hygiene of the eyes, treatment of infection on time, vaccination, and health education, has a significant reduction in the risk of development of corneal blindness. The doctor reiterated that prevention depends on early diagnosis and timely treatment regarding different conditions of the cornea.
Read also | Malaika Arora Shines in Siddartha Tytler's Black and Gold Lehenga at FDCI Couture Week
Read also| Exercise vs. Extra Fries: New Study Reveals How the Brain Makes Its Choice
