Awareness of the need for eye care

World Sight Day is observed on the second Thursday of October every year. It is observed all over the world to raise public awareness about blindness and visual impairment in a global context.

According to the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IABP), 75 percent of blindness and severe visual impairment are avoidable. World Sight Day creates a platform for everyone, where governments, institutions, and individuals can focus on developing 'integrated people-centred eye care' services.

The World Health Organisation launched the first report on vision in 2019. According to the available data, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired or blind, and one billion of them have problems such as glaucoma or cataracts, which could have been avoided if they had received timely treatment.

The 74th World Health Assembly (World Health Assembly) recommended the integration of eye care at the primary health care level to ensure prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation. It has also been asked to focus on ensuring that people get these services closer to their homes.

Both individuals and society need to be more aware of the need for eye care. Preventing and addressing vision impairment not only improves quality of life but also helps people become economically independent.

The National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment, launched in 1976 under the full auspices of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Eyes are one of the most beautiful and precious parts of our faces. A pair of beautiful eyes can make a man attractive. Eyes are the mirror of the mind; eyes speak the mind. So we all should take care of our eyes. Due to various diseases and carelessness in Bangladesh, the beauty of our eyes is lost. So let us know about the retina of the eye.

After a certain age, all parts of the body gradually weaken. Decay increases with age. Like teeth falling out, skin getting wrinkled, hair thinning, etc. In the same way, eyesight is weakened. With increasing age, various eye problems increase, which hinder clear vision. One such problem is retinal degeneration.

Many people in the world are suffering from this problem. The people of our country are not behind in this regard. Many people believe that retinal degeneration causes blindness! Degeneration means decay. Now, people's life expectancy has increased. Therefore, the problem of decay in the body is greater. The longer it lives, the more it decays. Retinal degeneration is one such problem. The probability of this increases with age. However, it is not only this decay that leads to blindness. If caught at the right time, it can be cured by treatment. And the retina is a thin, light-sensitive layer of neurons located behind the eyeballs of vertebrates. It is part of the central nervous system. The retina is made up of several nerve cells called rods and cones. When light falls on the retina, it creates a kind of excitement in the nervous system, resulting in a sense of vision in the brain. The retina acts like the film of a camera, capturing the image through photoreceptors.

A sensitive part of the eye is the retina. Diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, retinal detachment, etc. are various problems of the retina. Retinal eye problems usually occur if vision loss does not improve with glasses, low vision due to trauma, black floats in front of the eye, flashes of light in front of the eye, black screen-like vision, and a sudden loss of vision are assumed. However, due to the loss of vision for the retina, no pain is felt in the eye.

The function of the retina is to form the reflection of the object, act as a light consumer, and help to see in bright light. The front part of the white of the eye, which is transparent and slightly convex outward, is called the cornea of the eye. That is, the cornea is the transparent part of the eye that covers the front part of the eye. The lack of blood vessels in the cornea is one of the reasons for its transparency. Because of its transparency, light can enter the eye and fall on the retina at the back. Then we see an object. Cornea helps light rays enter. The cornea is composed of proteins and cells.

And when the age is over sixty, the hustle and bustle of work life comes to a halt, some inevitable changes begin in our body, cell by cell, in the inexorable laws of nature. As the ability of various organs to work decreases, the body's natural immunity also decreases. And that's when various diseases nestle in our bodies. Among the eye diseases that disturb people at this time are cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, dry eyes, and low vision. In macular degeneration, retinal cells gradually dry out, causing a gradual loss of vision. Its treatment is quite complex, and the results are full of uncertainty. Glaucoma treatment is very satisfactory if the disease is diagnosed at the right time. However, glaucoma medication should be used for life.

If diabetic retinopathy is caught early, blood sugar levels can be controlled, and appropriate treatment can prevent blindness from the disease. Remember, there is almost nothing that can be done with advanced diabetic retinopathy. Although dry eye disease can be very distressing, it is possible to have a positive response to treatment.

Low vision is really unfortunate. Reading or writing, which is one of the mainstays of elderly people, becomes almost impossible with this disease. As a result, a black shadow of despair descends on their lives. But there is almost no specific treatment for this disease. Because, in this case, the nerve cells of the retina become so weak that it is no longer possible to regenerate them. In most cases, or with the help of various types of magnifying glasses, the work of education is carried out.

Ways to keep good eyes at the age of 60:

Beware of diabetes.

It is proven that diabetes is one of the causes of blindness. And after the age of 60, the possibility of diabetes also increases. Apart from this, obesity, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, too much sugary food, diabetes in other members of the family, etc. cause diabetes to increase in blood sugar (sugar) levels. Bleeding starts from the fine blood vessels of the retina in this disease. Blood clots in various places of the retina and obscures the vision. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy.

Keep blood pressure under control.

Like diabetes, high blood pressure is also an enemy of the eyes. As a result, retinal blood flow is disrupted. The blood vessels become constricted, and the photosensitive cells in the retina become less efficient due to a lack of sufficient blood supply. High blood pressure causes blood clots to clog blood vessels in the retina and stop blood flow. This is called an eye stroke. 

Watch out for warning changes in vision:
 
Signs or symptoms of many complex eye diseases can be found early. Unfortunately, in many cases, we don't pay attention to them in the first place. By paying due attention to the early symptoms of this serious eye disease, it is possible to get rid of the inevitable blindness. 

Double Vision:

cataract, cerebral nerve palsy, eye stroke, brain tumour, etc. When seeing something, one thing appears as two.

Blurred vision:

cataracts, glaucoma, corneal ulcers, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, etc. can lead to blurred vision. It is wise to consult a doctor without taking any risks. Difficulty seeing in low light: Diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal blood flow problems, etc. cause difficulty seeing in low light.

Eye pain:

iritis, glaucoma, corneal abrasion Dust or any foreign object in the eye should seek medical attention.

Red eyes: 

conjunctivitis, acute glaucoma, conjunctival haemorrhage, iritis, etc. cause red eyes.

Flashes of light: If you see a flash of light like an electric shock in front of your eyes, it is necessary to see a doctor immediately for a comprehensive examination of the retina. Retinal detachment can cause permanent darkness in the eyes.

Floater or dark black dot: A black dot hovers like a fly in front of the eye. They are called eye flies or floaters. Floaters occur when the vitreous of the eye thins due to age. In most cases, these do not cause any problems. But sometimes it can be an early sign of retinal detachment. So there is no need to be careful.

If we want to prevent blindness, then we have to do some things:
 
(1) Eating small fish, vegetables, and yellow fruits improves eyesight. (2) Every 20 minutes after watching a mobile, laptop, or television, looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds will remove eye pain and headaches.
 
(3) Regular eye care should be taken or eye care should be consulted by a doctor; if glasses are required or if there is any eye problem, they should be checked up on regularly. One should ask the family if there is any eye problem in the family.
 
(4) It is necessary to eat nutritious food.
 
(5) Regular exercise is necessary.
 
(6) Avoiding those foods that cause diabetic retinopathy
 
(7) Blood pressure should be kept normal, and a glaucoma test should be arranged.
 
(8) Medicines should be used as per prescription. Glaucoma medication should be used regularly.
 
(9) Occasional use of medicines from a pharmacy may increase eye pressure or cause eye damage. In that case, the doctor's advice is necessary.
 
Moderate exercise:

Many people get a little lazy or cranky after they retire from their careers. As a result, many problems arise in the body. Regular morning walks and moderate exercise increase blood circulation in the whole body and eyes. It also reduces the chances of macular degeneration and other age-related eye diseases by about 70%. Hence, the objective of this programme was to prevent blindness and visual impairment by increasing awareness of eye care services and communities.
 
Author, Founder, and Chairman,Jatiya Rogi Kalyan Society