Ipoh Echo’s EYE HEALTH series resumes with Consultant Eye Surgeon Dr. S. S. GILL talking to us about Visual Impairment.

CONGRATULATIONS TO IPOH ECHO on the publishing of its maiden hard copy, post-pandemic. I am happy to be invited back to resume the Eye Health community education series for Ipoh Echo readers. As we countdown to World Sight Day 2024, let’s visit the subject of Visual Impairment. Visual impairment is a term used to describe any kind of vision loss to the extent that even with conventional forms of correction or treatment, the person’s vision remains poor. Being visually impaired can be frightening, especially when it affects those who once had good vision. Some facts on visual impairment are:

• Approximately 315 million people are visually impaired worldwide and 49 million of them are blind.

• Every 20 seconds, someone in the world becomes visually impaired.

• The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness at a global level are refractive errors and cataracts.

• Vision loss can affect people of all ages; however, most people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50 years.

• About 85% of all visual impairment is avoidable.

DIALOGUE IN THE DARK

I am reminded of the “Dialogue in the Dark” tour that was founded by Dr. Andreas Heinecke in 1988 who was touched by the plight of a journalist friend. He realised that the blind did not have equal access to education and jobs. Andreas then opened the first Dialogue in the Dark exhibition in Germany in 1989, which today is an international network in more than 47 countries. The tour simulates the blind experience with the intention to foster understanding between people with and without vision. Visitors navigate different environments in complete darkness, relying on all senses except sight, and ask questions of their visually impaired guide, whose face they don’t see until leaving. On completion of the tour, many are shaken and jolted by the reality of what blindness feels like!

WHAT CAUSES VISUAL IMPAIRMENT?

Many factors can cause visual impairment. “Cataracts or the clouding of the eye’s lens are common causes for loss of vision. Cataracts commonly affect those beyond the 50’s but may appear earlier in people who are excessively exposed to UV rays of sunlight like golfers and sports people who are not in the habit of wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes. Symptoms include blurry vision and glare. Replacement of the eye’s natural lens with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant through cataract surgery restores vision.

Those with diabetes mellitus need to get screened regularly for Diabetic Retinopathy, which is a condition where the tiny blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye) are damaged. In the early stages, there may be no symptoms although one may already have diabetic eye complications, so it is important to get the eyes checked regularly. Glaucoma is another cause where an increased pressure inside the eye impairs vision by damaging the optic nerve. Any damage to the optic nerve is irreversible so early detection screening and treatment is crucial or the vision will deteriorate over time to tunnel vision and eventually blindness. Most people may also find it surprising to note that injury is one of the common causes of vision loss. Getting hit with a hockey ball or a shuttlecock during play, or unsupervised children playing with sharp objects, gardening injuries and also injuries from car accidents are common factors. Parents should avoid buying toys with sharp edges and prevent children from playing with chopsticks or pencils. Prevention is always better than cure!

Macular Degeneration is a gradual deterioration of the macula (centre point at the back of the eye), which is the most sensitive region of the retina. The condition leads to progressive loss of central vision (the ability to see fine details directly in front). Excessive exposure to sunlight and smoking can increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Symptoms may include increased difficulty reading or watching TV, as vision becomes distorted, straight lines appear wavy or objects look larger or smaller than normal. In children, AMBLYOPIA or “lazy eye” in early childhood can drastically reduce vision in an eye if the weak eye is not corrected. It is important to detect and treat the lazy eye before the age of 7 or 8 years before the “vision centre” in the brain completes its development.

PREVENTING VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Many people will have some type of visual problem at some point in their lives. It is important that if you are 40 and above, to get your eyes checked annually. If you have diabetes, hypertension or a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration you will need to be particularly cautious and get your eyes checked and monitored closely.

More in the next issue of the Ipoh Echo. For more information, call 05-5455582 at Hospital Fatimah or email gilleyecentre@dr.com