New Delhi, Sep 21, 2020 (UNI / HT Digital) Meta: People haven’t heard of corneal blindness in western society and yet millions suffer from this problem in India. Why exactly is this? We’re going to find out.









There are brilliant treatments for









corneal blindness







across the world. From antibiotics and eyedrops to surgeries and transplants, there are plenty of different methods that medical professionals can employ to cure diseases of the cornea. However, these forms of visual impairment and blindness remain a massive issue in India with over 10.6 million cases being estimated for the population in 2020. This makes no sense. Not only is a cure available but there are also plenty of preventive treatments and measures out there. So, why do millions of Indians still suffer? Let’s find out the answer to this pressing question.















Protection











Corneal diseases usually develop following on from injuries to the eyeball, such as scratches from flying debris or blunt trauma. Fortunately, we can easily reduce the likelihood of these injuries occurring by providing eye protection to workers who need it. For example, those in the carpentry sector could wear eye goggles when sculpting wood to prevent dust or splinters from grazing their eyeballs. However, many employers don’t enforce enough health and safety measures for their employees (such as eye protection), resulting in these injuries still occurring.































Treatment

Like we mentioned before, in western societies like the United Kingdom and United States of American, corneal blindness is somewhat of a non-issue because the population has better access to the treatments and cures that are currently available for corneal diseases. As these medical practices are expensive, however, many people in India can’t afford them. Furthermore, the equipment and highly skilled staff required to conduct these treatments are also costly and hard to come by. There is some hope on the horizon, though. Philanthropic foundations like













Kohli Ventures











aspire to make treatment for corneal blindness available worldwide. Not only does this mean that India will be able to access the cure but also afford it.



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Image Source: Pixabay.com.



















Hygiene















The main cause of corneal diseases and blindness is infection. This occurs when people touch their eyes with unwashed hands, clean their faces with dirty water, or existing injuries are exposed to nasty bacteria. Good hygiene is the best way to prevent infection from occurring. However, in Indian communities where there isn’t access to clean water, people struggle to maintain their hygiene. As such, corneal blindness is common in areas like the Delhi slums.

































Nutrition













If we are nourished, our bodies are much more capable of fighting off the diseases and infections that lead to corneal blindness. Once again, though, nutrient-rich food is rather scarce in the poorer communities of India. It’s not only unaffordable but also inaccessible. As a result, the people can’t develop the strong immune systems they need to fight off corneal diseases, eventually leading to their blindness. This is an absolute affront to basic human rights and yet the problem is still pervasive in India.





These are the main reasons why corneal blindness remains a massive problem in India. Despite there being treatments and preventive measures available, these seem exclusively reserved for richer countries, even though everyone deserves the right to have good eyesight.

(Disclaimer--Features may vary depending on the regions; subject to change without notice.)