What is blindness?
Blindness is a lack of vision. It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
- Partial blindness means an individual have very limited vision.
- Complete blindness means the individual cannot see anything and do not see light. (Most people who use the term “blindness” mean complete blindness.).
Causes of blindness
Blindness has many causes. But, the leading causes are:
- Accidents or injuries to the surface of the eye (such as chemical burns or sports injuries)
- Diabetes
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
The type of partial vision loss may differ, depending on the cause, for example;
- With cataracts, vision may be cloudy or fuzzy, and bright light may cause glare
- With diabetes, vision may be blurred, there may be shadows or missing areas of vision, and difficulty seeing at night
- With glaucoma, there may be tunnel vision and missing areas of vision
- With macular degeneration, the side vision is normal but the central vision is slowly lost
Other causes of vision loss include:
- Blocked blood vessels
- Complications of premature birth
- Complications of eye surgery
- Lazy eye
- Optic neuritis
- Stroke
Prevention of blindness
- Avoid accidents: Eye accidents that lead to blindness are common, so it is important to avoid eye injuries, as well. Sports eye injuries are widespread, so in competitive sports, children should wear safety glasses or goggles to protect their eyes. If possible sharp objects should be eliminated completely in sports and children should not be allowed to play with toys with sharp edges or are inherently injury-prone, or knives. At work, people should be advised to always wear goggles or safety glasses if their job are in anyway hazardous or if they are working with chemicals, and make sure they know what kind of hazards they could face at work, such as flying particles, falling tools, and other objects that could injure their eyes.
- Quit smoking: Studies have shown that smokers show increased rates of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts, and all of these conditions can lead to blindness if they are not detected and treated in time.
- Keep healthy blood sugar levels: If not kept under control, high sugar levels can lead to damage of the retina, which is the layer responsible for capturing images and sending them to the brain, located on the back of the eye. The more sugar levels stay above the safe range, the more risk of developing blindness.
- Regular blood sugar check: High blood pressure can cause blood vessels in the eye to burst and lead to vision impairment. Adopting a healthy lifestyle; habits like healthy eating, regular exercise and stress management to can help to keep blood pressure under control.
- Regular eye examinations to check for glaucoma: Glaucoma increases pressure inside the eye and can result in a damaged retina.
- Protect eyes from ionizing and ultraviolet (uv) radiation: Excessive exposure to ionizing and ultraviolet radiation should be avoided to prevent cataracts, which cloud the eye’s lens. The lens allows the eye to focus light on the retinal.
- Take bilberry supplements: Bilberry is an antioxidant, which can remove toxins from the retina and increase circulation to the eye area.
- Consume a diet rich in antioxidants: Consume antioxidant diet like carrots which are responsible for removing free radicals, molecular fragments that trigger chemical degradation in the body, including the eyes.
