A second hard look at blindness

MANILA, Philippines - Vision is a gift that enables us to see the world and appreciate its beauty. It lets us take in the splendor of the rising sun and map out constellations in the night sky.

Sadly, around 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide and 39 million of them are completely blind. In the Philippines, there is an estimated half a million blind people whose visual impairments are caused by different eye conditions and diseases.

“It is imperative that Filipinos be aware of the different causes of blindness. By being informed, the chances of curing or even preventing the loss of sight increases dramatically,” says Healthway medical ophthalmologist Dr. Benette Carunungan.

There are a number of diseases that cause blindness. Glaucoma, a condition that damages the eye’s optic nerve due to rising fluid pressure in the eye, is one of the leading causes of blindness among Filipinos.

Another condition that causes visual impairment is macular degeneration, often called age-related macular degeneration. This slowly progressive disease usually affects older adults in which the eye’s macula degenerates, causing central vision to become compromised, making it hard to focus. This results in a person’s inability to read, drive, watch television, and perform other daily tasks. If untreated, this can subsequently lead to blindness.

Chronic diseases also have an effect towards vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive ocular complication of diabetes where blood vessels within the eye undergo changes that result in bleeding and /or swelling of the retina, eventually leading to blindness if uncontrolled.

However, the number one cause of blindness in the Philippines by far, regardless of age and gender, is cataract, accounting for around 400,000 cases of the total number of blind people in the country (source: www.blind.org.ph). Cataract is a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye which, if not attended to early, can also lead to blindness.

The best and perhaps the most logical way of taking care of one’s eyes is by having them checked every six months. Visiting eye doctors regularly improves the chances of detecting vision problems which could develop into serious conditions if left untreated. Here, clinics like Healthway Medical help by having certified professionals check patients for visual acuity and do cataract screening and other eye examinations to determine the eye’s condition.

Healthway Medical offers procedures such as cataract surgery, a process that is proven to be effective in treating the condition. Available as an outpatient surgery, the procedure involves removing the eye’s cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial one. The treatment is safe and sure as more than 95 percent of the people who had their cataract removed have not experienced complications and have enjoyed improved vision afterwards.

Visit any Healthway Medical clinics located at Market Market!, Robinsons Manila, Shangri-La, Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, SM The Block, and Greenbelt 5.   For inquiries, call Customer Care Hotline at 751-4929 or visit www.healthway.com.ph. Like “Healthway Philippines” on Facebook.