Taking care of eyes

Maintaining good vision and taking care of our eyes is a relatively simple task for the vast majority.

Vision is a gift to be cherished. Maintaining good vision and taking care of our eyes is a relatively simple task for the vast majority. In this section, we will learn the art of taking care of our eyes and ensuring perfect sight for the greater part of our lives.

The number of people with visual problems is truly staggering. In a developed country like the United States, it is estimated that more than two million people lose partial vision every year and almost a quarter of this number become totally blind. The figures in India are expected to be several times more than two million.

Why are annual eye examinations important?

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Annual eye examinations are strongly recommended for everyone. It also serves as a precaution. The benefits of annual eye examination are that it:

Detects near and far sightedness at an early stage

Detects astigmatism

Detects serious diseases like glaucoma

Detects cataracts

Detects systemic diseases like diabetes and hypertension

Children for whom eye check-ups are crucial

The annual eye examination is more important in the case of children. More than 75% of a child's learning in the growing years is accomplished by vision and even a slight impairment in the child's vision can lead to a significant delay in the child's intellectual development. While all children need regular eye check-ups, there are certain groups of children who are at greater risk. These include:

Children born prematurely

Children born into a family that has a history of eye problems such as childhood cataracts, mal-aligned eyes , or eye tumours

Children who have parents with health problems such as diabetes

Children who have had eye injuries even if the injuries have occurred years ago.

(Source: Webhealthcentre.com)