An estimated 20,000-25,000 new cases of corneal blindness in India are worrying the doctors, who say untreated infections and injuries are the major causes. Corneal blindness is a significant cause of vision loss in the country, accounting for around 7.5 per cent of the total blindness burden.
According to experts, the major reasons for these eye disorders have shifted in recent years from infectious diseases like keratitis to eye trauma and other eye complications, “but the burden remains substantial, especially in rural areas where access to eye care is limited,” Dr. Smit Bavaria, cataract surgeon at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, said in a news conference during the ongoing blindness awareness month.
Dr. Bavaria said keratitis progresses from mild irritation, redness, or vision impairment to severe scarring or opacity of the cornea, leading to partial or complete loss of vision if left untreated. However, treatment is most effective in patients who receive early intervention, especially those with infections or minor injuries that have not yet caused deep corneal damage.
“Without timely treatment, many patients, particularly in rural or underserved areas, develop irreversible blindness,” he added. What is corneal blindness? Corneal blindness is a group of eye disorders that change the corneal transparency, leading to scarring and permanent blindness. Doctors say those targeted by corneal blindness can be as young as in their 20s and 30s.
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