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Important Facts You Need To Know About Blindness

You may have the misconception that a person with blindness has no vision at all. However, that is not true. So, how much is a person with blindness able to see? A person is considered to be blind if they cannot see at all, whereas a person with partial blindness may experience blurry vision. A person is legally blind if they have a 20/200, meaning that they can see from only 20 feet away. However, legal blindness is not a medical term. Medically, blindness can range from mild to severe. An eye specialist is the best person to know whether a person is affected by blindness or not.

Here are some important facts that will broaden your understanding of blindness:

1. Blindness varies from mild to severe: A person with complete blindness will not be able to see anything. However, a person who is partially blind may experience cloudy vision, difficulty in differentiating shapes, and poor night vision among many other symptoms.

2. Eye diseases can also cause blindness: Glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration are among the few eye diseases that could cause conditions leading to blindness. Seeking immediate medical attention could help in preventing the complete loss of vision. A stroke might also lead to blindness while optic neuritis may result in temporary or permanent loss of vision.

Important facts You Need to Know About Blindness

3. Babies can also have vision impairment at the time of birth: Though a child’s visual system starts developing in the womb, it is not until the age of two, that a child’s vision is fully developed. A child may have vision impairment at birth as a result of a medical condition. Neurological conditions, genetic conditions, and illness at the time of birth may cause partial or complete blindness in children.

4. Eye infections and other medical conditions can cause blindness in infants: Infections like conjunctivitis or medical conditions such as cataracts, congenital glaucoma, and strabismus might hinder a child’s visual system to develop fully. A child with vision impairment may possess normal-looking eyes. However, if they are not focusing on objects by the age of 4 weeks or 5 weeks, or not smiling at familiar faces by 6 to 8 weeks, then the parents should seek doctor’s advice. An older child may hold objects very close to his or her eyes, and exhibit clumsy behavior.

5. Blindness can be treated in some cases: In some cases, partial blindness can be restored with the help of surgery, medications, and eyeglasses. In cases where vision cannot be restored, the doctors help patients to adapt a sustainable lifestyle, to help them function with limited vision. In the case of people with complete blindness, the doctor may suggest the use of braille, audio clocks, audiobooks, and other aids.

6. Blindness can be prevented in some cases: Early detection of eye diseases could help patients seek timely treatment and medication, visit https://neurofitnessfoundation.org/ambien-zolpidem/. This can prevent vision loss. It is important to get your eyes examined regularly to keep track of the general health of your eyes. It is recommended that the eyes of a child should be examined at the age of 6 months, and 3 years. After a child turns 6, the eye examination should be carried out every year. However, if there’s any change in the vision, then you should see an eye doctor immediately.

Preventive care is important for the health of your eyes

As much as annual physical examinations are an important part of healthcare routines, regular comprehensive eye examinations are equally important and form a part of general healthcare. An annual eye examination is the best way to make sure that your eyes are healthy. If you experience any changes in your vision, schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at one of the best eye hospitals in Kolkata, visit Disha Eye Hospitals. Our services include treatment for eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. To know more about our services, visit http://www.dishaeye.org/ We also offer LASIK eye surgery. To know the LASIK eye surgery cost and other details, visit http://www.dishaeye.org/lasik-refractive-surgery

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Top 7 Common Misconceptions About Blindness

There are a number of misconceptions about blindness – such as, all blind people can read braille or all blind people need a guide dog. These misunderstandings mainly arise from our perceptions formed from watching TV or reading books. Over here we have tried to debunk some of the common misconceptions about blindness.

Myth 1: Blind people can’t see at all

Not all cases of blindness/visual impairment lead to complete loss of vision. There are a number of eye complications that lead to loss of peripheral vision. These eye complications include Retinitis Pigmentosa, Glaucoma, Detached Retina, and Papilledema.

Top 7 common misconceptions about blindness

Myth2: Visually impaired people have the superior hearing sense

This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding blindness/visual impairment. Being blind/visually impaired doesn’t mean you’ll have superior hearing sense. This misconception is more of a misinterpretation of the fact that visually impaired people rely more on other senses and therefore their hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting sense may improve over time.

Myth3: All visually impaired people can read Braille

No, not all people who are visually impaired can read Braille. The specialised reading/writing system is mainly for young blind children. Using the reading/writing system, blind/visually impaired children can keep up with their education. People who suffer from visual impairment later in life do not necessarily have to rely on Braille. They may rely on alternatives like screen reader software.

Myth 4: Visually impaired people are unable to live independently

Being blind doesn’t mean you have to be completely dependent on another person. By making several lifestyle changes, visually impaired people can become perfectly capable of living independently and even raising families.

Being independent has now become less of a challenge for visually impaired people given the number of vision aid products that are available on the market. Some of the innovative vision aid products include reading pen, smart cane, digital magnifying glass, and liquid level indicator.

Myth 5: All blind people need a guide dog

Having a guide dog can be of great help, but it doesn’t necessarily mean all blind people must have one. In fact, having a guide dog can be a hassle as one needs to take proper care of it. Modern vision aids like the smart cane can be a great alternative to a guide dog.

Myth 6: Blind people need to be spoken loudly

People generally have a misconception that one needs to speak loudly to blind people. In fact, it can be considered as a negative gesture to speak loudly with visually impaired people. The best and positive way to interact with blind/visually impaired people is to speak with them in a conversational tone.

Myth 7: Blind people only see blackness

It depends on the person. Some people perceive it as a grey or brown haze. Whereas others can perceive bright lights.

We have tried debunking some of the common myths surrounding visual impairment. Now, let’s take a quick look at what causes blindness.

Causes of blindness

There are a number of complications that can lead to vision loss and complete blindness. These eye complications include:

  • Retinal detachment
  • Glaucoma
  • Hypertensive Retinopathy
  • Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Cataracts
  • Retinal Vascular Occlusion
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa

If you have been detected with any of these above, then it’s important to follow your treatment schedule religiously. Go for annual eye checkups and take proper care of eyes.

Disha Eye Hospital provides high-quality treatment for a number of eye complications

With a team of some of the best eye doctors in Kolkata, we provide treatment for serious eye complications, including Glaucoma, Cataracts, Diabetic Retinopathy, Refraction errors, Uveitis, and Corneal complications.

We use advanced technology-led diagnostic and treatment procedures to provide high-quality eye care, and that too, at affordable prices. Learn about our eye care services at http://www.dishaeye.org/