 |
| Blind, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications |
Blindness is a condition when a person cannot see, either in one eye (partial blindness) or both eyes (complete blindness). This condition can occur immediately due to severe injury, or slowly due to complications of certain diseases. Blindness can also be experienced by babies due to abnormalities or defects from birth.
Based on data from the World Health Organization in 2020, there are around 1 billion people worldwide who suffer from severe visual impairment or blindness. In Indonesia alone, until 2020 there are around 6.4 million people who are blind.
Until now, cataracts are still the most common cause of blindness, both in the world and in Indonesia.
Causes of Blindness
The causes of blindness are very diverse, but generally this condition occurs due to damage to the eye. The damage itself can be caused by certain medical conditions, such as:
- Cataract
- stroke
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Corneal opacities
- Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, which are not corrected
- Inflammation of the optic nerve (optic neuritis)
- Tumors of the retina or optic nerve
- Phthisis bulbi
In addition to adults, blindness can also be experienced by infants.
This condition can occur as a result of:
- Infections experienced by the mother during pregnancy, such as toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, or herpes
- Genetic disorders, such as congenital cataracts, congenital glaucoma, retinal degeneration, wasting of the optic nerve, or structural abnormalities of the eye
In addition to the conditions above, there are several factors that can increase the risk of blindness in babies, namely:
- Lazy eye (amblyopia)
- Crossed eyes (strabismus)
- Trachoma
- Drooping eyelids (ptosis)
- Hereditary glaucoma
- Cataract due to heredity
- Blockage of tear ducts
- An underdeveloped retina in premature babies (retinopathy of prematurity)
Symptoms of Blindness
If the blindness is not caused by a severe injury that occurs suddenly, there are several symptoms that appear before the vision finally disappears, namely:
- cloudy eye lens
- Decreased or blurred vision
- Eyes hurt
- Seeing floaters that are getting more and more disturbing
- Discomfort in the eyes that lasts for a long time
- Bloodshot eyes
In some cases, such as glaucoma, eye damage generally causes no symptoms. Therefore, regular check-ups are necessary to prevent visual disturbances that can lead to total blindness or cause a person to be blind.
Babies aged 1-2 months generally have started to follow the movement of objects or faces they see by looking at them or trying to reach them. In infants who are blind, they may show the following signs:
- Abnormal eye movement
- Unable to follow the direction of movement of an object or face
- Pupils appear white or cloudy
- Frequent scratching or rubbing of eyes
- Sensitive to light.
- Eyes look red
- The eye appears to be covered with a film, pus, or fluid
When to go to the doctor
Immediately consult a doctor if you or your child experience symptoms of blurred vision, either suddenly or slowly. Some other symptoms that also need to get treatment immediately are:
- Sore eyes accompanied by headache and fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Difficulty opening or moving the eyes
- Pus comes out of the eye
Blindness Diagnosis
The doctor will ask questions about the patient's symptoms and medical history, followed by a physical examination. After that, the doctor will perform further examinations to detect causes of blindness, such as:
1. Visual acuity test
Visual acuity test aims to determine how clearly the patient sees objects. During the examination, the patient is asked to identify letters of different sizes at certain distances.
2. Visual field test
The visual field test aims to detect disturbances in the patient's visual field or range of vision. In this test, the doctor will ask the patient to respond to light or motion that is signaled at different angles without having to move the eyes.
3. Slit lamp
Slit lamp is an eye examination using a special microscope. This test aims to examine the cornea, iris, lens of the eye, and the fluid-filled space between the cornea and iris.
4. Ophthalmoscopy
This test aims to examine the back and inside of the eye using an instrument called an ophthalmoscope. At the beginning of the procedure, the doctor will drip a special fluid to dilate the pupil so that the inside of the eye is easier to examine.
5. Tonometry
Tonometry is a test that aims to measure the pressure inside the eyeball. This test can help doctors to diagnose whether a patient is at risk for glaucoma.
To diagnose blindness in infants, the pediatrician will point to bright or colorful objects, then see how the baby reacts.
Blindness Treatment
The method for treating blindness depends on the underlying cause and the patient's condition, for example:
- Administration of blood sugar control drugs to treat blindness due to diabetic retinopathy
- Surgical procedures, to treat blindness due to cataracts
- Corneal transplant, to treat blindness due to cloudiness or scarring of the cornea
In uncorrected partial blindness, the doctor will train the patient to maximize the limited vision, such as using a magnifying glass to read or increasing the font size on a computer.
Meanwhile, in total blindness that cannot be treated with drugs or surgery, the doctor will provide adjustment exercises, so that the patient is able to carry out daily activities independently. The type of exercise is by learning to read Braille, using a walking stick when walking, or using a special smartphone.
Blindness Complications
Untreated blindness has the potential to cause a decrease in quality of life, such as difficulty walking, unable to work, and the risk of falling or serious injury while on the move. In fact, blindness can also cause mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders.
In infants, untreated blindness can hinder motor, language, emotional, and cognitive development. At school age, these children are also at risk of experiencing barriers to learning.
Blindness Prevention
The way to prevent blindness is to immediately address the cause. For example, early diagnosis and regular treatment of glaucoma can reduce the risk of blindness. Meanwhile, in diabetics, keeping blood sugar levels stable can reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy.
In women who want to undergo a pregnancy program, the doctor will suggest to undergo vaccination and TORCH examination. The goal is to prevent the occurrence of infections that cause blindness in infants.
In addition to the above methods, blindness can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as:
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Routine eye health checks
- Quit smoking
- Use personal protective equipment when carrying out activities that risk causing injury
- Wearing sunglasses in hot weather
- Get enough rest
Related Searches:
- the blind side,
- color blind test,
- blind side,
- blind gossip,
- third eye blind,
- blind frog ranch,
- color blind glasses,
- ori and the blind forest,
- blind,
- are dogs color blind,
- blind melon,
- blind barber,
- blind tiger,
- blind pimple,
- the blind side cast,
- blind items,
- blind faith,
- three blind mice,
- blind fury,
- legally blind,
- blind side cast,
- what do blind people see,
- blind to go,
- color blind,
- 3 blind mice,
- blind melon no rain,
- blind squirrel,
- blind skateboards,
- deer blind,
- mystery at blind frog ranch,
- i'd rather go blind,
- blind to billionaire,
- blind date,
- are cats color blind,
- are bats blind,
- ground blind,
- hunting blind,
- blind donkey,
- blind creek beach,
- cast of the blind side,
- the blind tiger,
- blind 75,
- third eye blind semi-charmed life,
- blind eyes,
- blind spot,
- blind item,
- blind fury rapper,
- blind spot mirror,
- blind blake,
- watch the blind side,
- vienna black gets fooled by a tricky blind man,
- what is legally blind,
- are cicadas blind,
- blind app,
