Page 172 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition Jan-Feb 2020

trauma each are the cause of an advanced western community. Blindness due to industrial accidents
the 5%. Unfortunately, there is still not a lot is most common among miners
of real knowledge nor the ability to and in the engineering trades. More
4. In late adult life (50-70 years), control these conditions. Out of the striking is the enormous economic
cataract and glaucoma become major causes, glaucoma is essentially loss entailed by relatively minor
common causes of blindness; a matter of early diagnosis and accidents, such as foreign bodies in
add myopia and diabetes to that treatment, while resolving cataract the eye. Many of these can be entirely
which accumulate to the 15% of is dependent on the availability of prevented by using appropriate
the total. surgery, though this is sometimes not guards, screens and goggles. These
feasible in the age group where its
5. In the elderly (70 and above), occurrence is highest. matters require special attention
cataract and senile macular from factory medical officers.
degeneration account for 30% From other numerically-less Prevention in such cases can help
each, glaucoma remains at important causes, the statistics of the avoid short-term as well as long-term
15%, while myopia, diabetes blind in England and Wales show the impact to the eyes due to harmful
and cardiovascular diseases following significant factors: conditions; companies must take
contribute about 5%. 1. Syphilis is now a relatively minor note of this to help protect their
There is no reason for believing cause of blindness. workers on the field.
that any one of the four major causes 2. The inflammatory diseases
of blindness – cataract, glaucoma, are of some importance, as is
myopia and the congenital, shown by the fact that iritis and
hereditary and developmental iridocyclitis account for 4.7%
anomalies – is likely to have declined of all cases, and non-descript
to any extent. Since the population choroidal lesions, some of them
of England is ageing, and as 84% possibly inflammatory in origin,
of the blind is in the age group of for another 1.7%.
50 years and above, there seems to 3. ‘Senile’ fundus degenerations are
be little ground for hoping that the a significant cause of blindness;
number of the blind is decreasing ‘senile’ macular degeneration
as a whole. It seems reasonable accounts for 0.5% at the age of 55,
to conclude that in a developed rising to 6.5% at the age of 75.
country, a further substantial decline
in the number of blind in the near 4. Vascular lesions are also of
future is unlikely and that the current significance. Diabetes contributes
major problems of blindness shall 1.8% and generalised vascular NOW SIMPLY
remain as outstanding causes. diseases account for 1.9%. SCAN THE ABOVE
From the respective list of 5. Optic atrophy as an aetiologically CODE AND PAY/
diseases, cataract and glaucoma undiagnosed group contributes RENEW YOUR
are diseases of the ageing; myopia 3.5%, and nondescript corneal SUBSCRIPTION
and congenital, hereditary and lesions is 2.3% of all cases.
developmental anomalies affect Industrial conditions may cause FOR THE INDIAN
the young and are essentially blindness, either by disease or OPTICIAN.
genetically determined. Genetic and accident. The chief diseases, such
geriatric problems relating to the as poisoning (lead, derivatives of WHATSAPP
two extremes of life are, therefore, benzene, etc.), glass and iron workers’ PAYMENT DETAILS
the essential issues outstanding cataract, miners’ nystagmus, etc. TO 9711216868
in the prevention of blindness in have already been discussed.

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