Causes of Blindness

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Causes of blindness

When you think about it, the very act of actually seeing the world around us is an astonishing thing. It relies on the interaction between the brain and the eyeball, two extraordinarily complex organs, so it's hardly surprising that there are so many ways in which we can suffer sight loss or reduction.

Cataract

Cataract is the clouding of the eye's lens - the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and producing clear, sharp images.

Childhood blindness

Of the 45 million people worldwide who are blind, around 1.4 million are children under 16. The vast majority of childhood blindness happens before the age of five - a period when 75 per cent of learning is through sight.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the sixth most common cause of blindness globally, affecting 1.8 million people. It is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the third biggest cause of blindness worldwide. It affects around 60 million people, of whom about 4.5 million have become blind. It is common in both developed and developing countries.

Low vision

Low vision is when, even after medical treatment, people have difficulty distinguishing objects and/or distances. People with low vision can be helped by changes made to their environment, such as painting the edges of stairs white so they can be seen more easily, or specially made devices.

River blindness

River blindness is caused by a worm that breeds in fast-flowing rivers. It is a major cause of blindness in west and central Africa. Sightsavers is combating it with the drug Mectizan®.

Trachoma

Trachoma is one of the most common causes of blindness in the developing world. It is linked to extreme poverty and poor sanitation.

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