The second Thursday of October marks the World Vision Day . On 2021 said day is celebrated on 14 October, with the aim of creating social awareness about the importance of eye health and guarantee better access to quality ophthalmological services .
Vision includes all the health that has to do with the eye, as well as its problems or diseases, which can end in blindness or visual impairment.
This day is commemorated thanks to the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB, ).
WHO Vision Data
Worldwide, more than 2. 200 millions of people have some type of visual impairment or blindness. Of the total, 1. 000 millions could have been avoided or have not yet been treated or do not receive the care they need, according to the World Health Organization.
In Spain, there are about one million people with visual impairment, low vision and / or blindness according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
And, as the WHO points out, we can find different conditions that affect the seen with, among which we highlight:
- Nearsightedness: difficulty in seeing distant objects clearly.
- Hyperopia: difficulty seeing nearby objects.
- Astigmatism: distorted vision due to abnormal curvature of the cornea.
- Glaucoma: disease of the optic nerve in which the pressure of the eye is very high.
- Diabetic retinopathy: a complication n in patients with diabetes).
- Cataracts (opacity of the normal transparency of the lens).
Experts highlight that the main factors causing the increase in the number of people with visual impairments affecting vision are as follows:
- Aging of the population.
- Lifestyle changes.
- Limited access to eye care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries in.
In this sense, the WHO assures that the 93% of blindness cases are preventable. This may be because the problem is the result of a preventable disease; or because it can be treated to the point of regaining vision.
And it is that prevention and treatment for vision loss are among the health procedures more effective and with better results. These procedures for example can be:
- Surgery or laser treatments.
- Oral medications.
- Lens prescription.
- Combination of any of these options.
That is why it is essential to regularly consult an ophthalmologist to be able to detect any problems in time.
Symptoms of visual problems
If we talk about vision, we have to highlight which are the main symptoms to indicate a visual problem.
In adults they are the following:
- High sensitivity to light or brightness.
- Difficulty reading small print or perform manual work.
- Headaches at height of the temple.
- Fatigue or visual fatigue.
- Need to hold reading materials at a distance to be able to focus them correctly.
- Watery eyes or excessive tearing.
- Red or swollen eyes.
- Blurred vision when trying to see objects near or far.
- Double vision.
In children:
- Approach objects to the face.
- I constantly squint my eyes so I can see well.
- Rub my eyes a lot .
- Skip words or lines when reading or follow the reading with your finger.
- Watch TV from very close.
Advice to take care of the sight
The recommendations regarding vision by specialists are very clear. First of all, they advise taking a once-a-year sight exam. That is, go to the ophthalmologist so that he can detect or not the presence of a visual problem.
Another tip is to avoid the eyestrain . To do this, we have to avoid having puffy and / or red eyes. For this, it is recommended not to strain your eyes and take some rest when we are exercising, either reading or in front of a screen.
As in any aspect related to health, it is important to have a healthy and healthy lifestyle. Importance of exercising, avoiding tobacco, not self-medicating and. In addition, you should acquire eating habits rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, zinc and essential fatty acids.
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