'Vision impairment soars as screen time amid COVID-19 increases'

Increased digital screen time amid the COVID19 pandemic has further increased the rising burden of preventable blindness in the country said the All India Ophthalmology Society AIOS There is an immediate need to take preventive measures on a very urgent basis the society cautionedWith changing lifestyle patterns and excessive usage of digital screens by people of all age brackets there is an exponential increase in the number of patients suffering from mild to severe vision problems which are preventable or treatable said Dr Mahipal Singh Sachdev President AIOS amp Chairman Centre For Sight Group of HospitalsThe society also highlighted the importance of public awareness in tackling preventable blindnessCataract is considered to be the no 1 cause of blindness globally which is preventable as well as treatable Glaucoma cannot be cured completely but the damage caused on the optic nerve can be halted or slowed With a huge burden of vision impairment in India there is an immediate need to take preventive measures on a very urgent basis said SachdevThere is a dire need to spread awareness among the masses about the importance of timely detection of vision problems and curb the instances of preventable blindness he addedThe second Thursday of October is celebrated as the World Sight Day annually which aims to spread awareness about avoidable blindness and vision impairment The WHO theme this year is HopeInSight which focuses on eliminating avoidable visual impairmentThe World Health Organisation WHO states that around 30 crore people suffer from partial vision impairment and blindness around the world The developing countries are the epicentre of the partial vision blindness as 85 of the cases are concentrated in these countriesThe WHO estimated that by 2025 the number of people who suffer from partial vision loss will rise to 60 crore globallyThe Ophthalmology Society said that India is one of the major contributors to the crisis However most of the cases are still preventable Despite this the burden of blindness is not shrinking but rising steadily India needs timely action and mobilization to deal with this critical situation said Dr Namrata Sharma honorary general secretary AIOSSpreading awareness among the masses about the vision problems is the only way towards prevention and early detection of eye diseases to ensure healthy vision With revolutionary changes in the technology it is easy to prevent loss of vision by tackling the major causes of blindness like glaucoma cataract and diabetic retinopathy Laser technology is minimally invasive and automated that it provides greater precision and accuracy with better outcomes and quick recovery Timely detection and treatment is crucial because vision loss by glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can be prevented but not cured Early detection for both these diseases is the key to sight preservation so regular eye checkup is a must she addedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever