{"id":7039,"date":"2019-05-30T21:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T21:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=7039"},"modified":"2021-04-08T20:10:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T20:10:19","slug":"14-most-common-causes-of-blindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-most-common-causes-of-blindness\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Most Common Causes of Blindness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Blindness affects millions of people all over the world, and there are more cases of blindness that are diagnosed every day. Remember that this number also includes those who are partially-sighted and have not lost their sight entirely \u2013 many people are still surprised to find that blindness doesn\u2019t just include <\/span>complete <\/span><\/i>blindness. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many things that can put you at risk of developing permanent blindness including repeated eye infections, conditions like glaucoma and cataracts and some health conditions that affect the eyes as an associated symptom, such as diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing the risk factors and most common causes of blindness can help you to steer clear of the things that increase your risk \u2013 and could eventually save your sight. Most cases of blindness can be avoided or treated early before they lead to permanent sight loss.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the 8 most common causes of blindness that you should know about.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Direct Injury to the Eye<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Direct injury to the eye is one of the most common causes of blindness <\/a>out there, and it\u2019s true that most of these injuries could have been avoided ahead of time and never led to blindness at all. Direct injury to the eye can oftentimes take place as a workplace injury, and not always in the most obvious of ways \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s an injury that happens quickly, such as shards of wood that make their way to the eye; other times it\u2019s an eye injury that happens over a long period of time, such as the condition known as \u201carc-eyes\u201d developed by welders. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct injury to the eye can also happen because of car accidents, assaults and a range of other incidents. Sometimes these can\u2019t be avoided, but the injury to the eye <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> be treated as fast and effectively after the accident as possible to minimize the risk of lost sight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Untreated Eye Infections<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eye infections<\/a> are common, and the majority of people will develop at least one minor eye infection during their lifetime when they are exposed to pathogens. Most eye infections happen due to the cross-transferring of bacteria from one point to another, usually by touching something infected and then rubbing the eyes, usually without realizing that you\u2019re doing it. Eye infections can also sometimes happen due to <\/span>other<\/span><\/i> types of infections in the body that are close enough to the eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mild to moderate eye infections are also many times common for people who wear contacts and forget to clean them or handle them with infected hands. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an eye infection, it\u2019s vital to have it treated with antibiotics as soon as possible. If you don\u2019t, then you take the risk that your eye infection will only worsen \u2013 and can lead to permanently impaired sight if treatment waits too long.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Glaucoma<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma <\/a>is one of the most common eye disorders out there, and it causes chronic pressure in the ocular nerve, which often impairs sight, causes pain and discomfort in the eyes and can lead to blindness if the condition is left untreated for too long. It\u2019s made worse by certain factors like a strain on the eyes, and even dietary factors are believed to have a considerable impact on what can trigger glaucoma.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you suspect that you might have glaucoma based on some of the symptoms mentioned here, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. The condition can be managed, and like most health conditions it\u2019s best diagnosed and treated early before it can do any kind of permanent damage to your vision.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most early-onset cases of glaucoma can be managed with prescribed medication, though progressed cases might require surgery in order to treat effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Cataracts<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with glaucoma, cataracts are one of the most common eye conditions out there. If you suffer from cataracts, the first thing you\u2019ll notice as a symptom is often the persistent feeling that there\u2019s something \u201clost\u201d or \u201ctrapped\u201d in the eye that causes a scratchy feeling and some associated pain and discomfort<\/a>; this may or may not be visible on the eye at this point \u2013 but will almost certainly become visible as the condition progresses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing the condition is often associated with age, although anyone can develop cataracts at any point during their lives and require treatment. If you have cataracts, urgent medical treatment is needed to remove cataracts, often through a minor surgery and appropriate medication.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If left until it\u2019s reached the later stages, cataracts can become a much more painful condition and can lead to partial or complete loss of vision. This can still often be corrected with surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Severe Eye Strain<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Severe eye strain<\/a> is never good for the eyes, although a lot of people who realize that they\u2019re straining their eyes will still continue; this is because people don\u2019t realize that eye strain is much more than just tired eyes, and it won\u2019t just go away. Often times eye strain turns into a chronic condition where the eyes are subjected to the same kind of strain every day over a long period of time \u2013 common in careers that spend a lot of time in front of a screen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice that your eyes are getting strained, tired or uncomfortable more than usual, it can point to a health condition that affects the eyes \u2013 and you should make an appointment with an ophthalmologist to get it looked at as soon as possible if you want to save your eyesight for the long-term.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eye strain can cause a lot more damage than most people realize.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Work Injuries<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Direct eye injuries are some of the most common causes of blindness in children and adults \u2013 though, for adults, an eye injury can often happen as an injury that\u2019s related to the type of job they do. Sometimes we\u2019re talking about long-term eye strain that comes from spending a lot of time in an environment that strains the eyes, such as in a badly-lit office. These work injuries <\/a>can usually be prevented with simple things like improving lighting, having your eyes checked regularly, wearing the right glasses and taking regular breaks to rest your eyes. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other work injuries can sometimes happen in an instant. These types of injuries are career-related and happen in areas where there is debris \u2013 for example, to welders and construction workers. To avoid these types of injuries, safety gear is usually the best way \u2013 and making sure that they\u2019re being used properly whether you\u2019re at work or at home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Diabetes<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes <\/a>is a very common health condition affecting thousands of people all over the world every year \u2013 and the number of people diagnosed with both type I and type II diabetes gets higher every year. Sometimes being diagnosed with diabetes is an entirely genetic factor and you are more likely to develop it due to family history; other times diabetes is diagnosed to due lifestyle factors such as following an unhealthy diet that triggers the diabetes response in the body.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of diabetes can include frequent (and usually highly increased) urination, cravings for sugar and things that convert into sugar within the body, reduced circulation in the extremities, darkening of the urine \u2013 and a characteristically sweet smell to the urine. At this point, dietary changes and the right medical treatment are vital in order to avoid serious damage to your health, which can often include loss of vision or complete blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Retinal Detachment<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Retinal detachment usually happens due to some kind of physical trauma <\/a>that causes damage to the eye and makes the retina detached from the rest of the eye; some examples of the kind of trauma which can cause this includes hitting your head in a fall or car accident, being hit in the eye during an assault \u2013 or for some people with connective-tissue disorders, even a ride on a roller coaster can potentially trigger a retinal detachment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of a retinal detachment include seeing flashes or floaters present in the eyes, pain, and redness in the eyes and often times the appearance of small \u201cspecks\u201d near the iris. Retinal tears (and eventual detachment) can lead to permanent blindness, and it\u2019s a condition that\u2019s best diagnosed and treated early.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you suspect retinal detachment, make an immediate appointment with your ophthalmologist or make a trip to the emergency room: It could save your eyesight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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