Eye Care Beyond Blindness

Article: Rapidly rising levels of sight loss are ‘tip of the iceberg’
Source: Anglia Ruskin University, via ScienceDaily
Published: February 24, 2021

This study brings up a valid point for consideration. Because sight is such a valued sense modality, its absolute loss is an understandable emphasis and justification for advancing research and treatments for eye diseases. Both news articles and journal articles focus on keywords associated with blindness. A research group in the U.K. wants to call attention to the much greater proportion of people who are afflicted by eye disease that comes short of robbing them of vision, but nonetheless presents difficulties both for the individual and for the health care system overall. For example, the paper notes that while 8 million people around the world have moderate to severe visual impairment or blindness from glaucoma, around 76 million people around the world have the condition. Similarly, diabetic retinopathy has caused 4.4 million to be blind or have moderate to severe vision impairment, but around 160 million people have the condition. In short, stages of eye disease that involve moderate or severe visual impairment and blindness represent merely the tip of the iceberg of the plethora of eye conditions that need attention. Said researcher is leading a call for a UK-wide sensory health survey to provide robust data to inform health services. Reports like these provide a glimpse into differences in health care systems in different countries and the mentalities and emphases resulting from those different systems. On the one hand, one might ask, "Are not conjunctivitis, sore eyes or dry eyes the topics of ubiquitous discussions already?" On the other hand, to see a call for a survey to inform health services is an interesting public health perspective.

My rating of this study: ⭐🌸