VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

 

Visual impairment is a condition where someone has a problem with their sense of sight to see while others see partially .it is also known as vision loss. It can also be defined as decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses. Vision loss is becoming a severe problem in the country where most people are losing their sight. Low vision can be rectified through operation or the use of spectacles. According to World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people globally have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least one billion or almost half of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented .One billion people include those with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to unaddressed refractive error (88.4 million), cataract (94 million), glaucoma (7.7 million), corneal opacities (4.2 million), diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million), and trachoma (2 million), as well as near vision impairment caused by unaddressed presbyopia (826 million) 

Causes of visual impairment

 Albinism- It results due to intolerance light due to lack of pigment in the eyes, skin and hair.

 Glaucoma- A disorder of the eye, which is characterized by high pressure inside the eye  balll.

Cataracts- Resulting in severely distorted vision. Hydrocephalus

Exophthalmia- Absence of the eye ball. A condition caused by vitamin A deficiency that can lead to blindness

Acquired disorder- These disorders can occur prior to, during and after birth.

Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) - A leading cause of acquired blindness which involves damage to the occipital lobes or path ways to the brain.

Trachoma- A slowly progressing infectious disease associated with poor living standards and inadequate hygiene.

Injury to the eyes-Particularly to the cornea while playing or at work or due to accidents may result in vision loss and impairment.

Inherited conditions   of blindness and vision impairment e.g Retinitis pigmentosa which is the most common cause of inherited blindness.

Infections of the eyes-Sometimes if the mother has had a viral infection like German measles that is transmitted from the mother to the developing fetus during pregnancy the baby may be born with blindness or visual impairment.Trachoma of the eyes caused by contagious microorganism called Chlamydia trachomatis may also damge eye sight.

Cataract- Clouding of part or the entire lens of the eye. Resulting in severely distorted vision Cancer of the eyes-Retinoblastoma is the most common eye cancer of children.

Visual impairment is a disorder that is common in our society today. Most people should be educated on the causes of visual impairment. In case of reduction of  the eye visibility one should seek medical attention so as to minimize visual impairment. People should go for medical eye check-up for them to know the condition of their eye