On December 13, Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the blind, opticians and ophthalmologists, was celebrated. Under the auspices of this festivity, the Institut de la Màcula i de la Retina seeks to raise awareness among the population of the importance of attending regular eye examinations in order to be able to diagnose possible pathologies in their early stages and thus cure or stop them in time.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 285 million people currently suffer from some visual impairment, of which 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Most importantly, 80% of the world’s total of these cases are preventable or curable.
“Sixty-five percent of people with visual impairment are over the age of 50. The number of children under 15 years of age is 19 million, of which 12 million suffer from it due to refractive errors that could be corrected,” points out the director and ophthalmologist of the Institut de la Màcula i de la Retina and member of Top Doctors, Dr. Jordi Monés.
Eye diseases that cause blindness
The main diseases that cause blindness are: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
There are two types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): dry and wet. In either case, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the West in patients over the age of 50. Currently, more than 25 million patients suffer from this disease in the world and each year around 500,000 more are affected.
Dry AMD accounts for 85% of cases of age-related macular degeneration. “Despite being the most common and serious, it still has no cure; however, thanks to great advances in research, wet AMD can be treated by means of intraocular injections that can stop it, if it is detected in time,” says Dr. Monés.
Cataract or opacity of the crystalline lens is one of the most common ocular alterations and its main risk factor is age, but diabetes, arterial hypertension and obesity, together with other factors such as tobacco, alcohol and malnutrition, can intervene in the process of its formation.
Glaucoma is an ocular pathology in which intraocular pressure increases due, among other reasons, to the lack of drainage of the aqueous humor. In the case of glaucoma, the number of people suffering from this disease is high, as its prevalence ranges between 1.5% and 2% among those over 40 years of age.
One of the ocular complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, caused by the deterioration of the retinal blood vessels that dilate and cause fluid leaks and even occlusions, which can leave part of the retina without blood circulation.
In recent years, the rate of visual impairment has decreased thanks to advances in research, rapid action after the detection of a pathology and, above all, prevention. That is why today, more than ever, we must continue on this good path.
May Saint Lucia preserve your sight!