Eye Health

Aruna Misra, 60 from Faridabad has only 8 per cent peripheral vision left, which is also on a steady decline. But that does not stop her from living independently,  doing all her chores, and even cooking when her husband had COVID. Most importantly, it has not sapped her zest for life. Please tell us a bit about your condition I am suffering from an advanced stage of Retinitis Pigmentosa. I have a mere 8 per cent of vision left now. And it is mainly peripheral. I don’t have any vision…

Dr. Tarjani Dave, Consultant Ophthalmologist at LV Prasad Eye Institute explains what is Mucormycosis or Black Fungus, the symptoms associated with it, why there was a spike in the second wave of Covid cases in India and how to prevent another spike in the future. Why is Mucormycosis called the “black fungus”? Mucormycosis is caused by a fungus called Mucor that is found all around us - in the oral and respiratory lining of all healthy individuals, soil, water and air. It commonly affects…

You must continue to exercise if you have glaucoma. Meditation and yoga are also helpful. However you must take some precautions. The following exercises and activities can cause increase in ocular pressure or eye pressure. What Exercises Should You Avoid: All exercises in which your head is bent or below your heart level. All exercises that require you to be upside down such as hand/head stands, certain yoga poses*, various gymnastic or acrobatic moves. Isometric exercises like squatting,…

After the age of 40 everyone should go for an eye test as glaucoma is largely asymptomatic and can lead to significant vision loss and blindness in the advance stages, says Dr. Nishant Kumar, Consultant, Ophthalmology at Hinduja Hospital, Khar. What is the main cause of getting glaucoma? Glaucoma is an eye disease that is often associated with elevated intraocular pressure, in which the eye (optic) nerve is damaged. As this nerve gradually deteriorates, it can lead to loss of vision and even…

Vijay*, from Mumbai was diagnosed with Glaucoma when he was 42. He shares his experience of managing glaucoma and his mantra to others living with the condition. Introduce yourself 52 years old, Indian man. Active and healthy! An Engineer by qualification and an IT guy by profession. Please tell us a bit about your condition - when were you diagnosed, the early symptoms? During a regular eye checkup, which I used to do when I felt my number needed checking,  in 2011, I was diagnosed with…

Divya Sharma, 27, is a young lady with only 25 per cent vision due to acute glaucoma as a child. But that has not stopped her from being a fitness enthusiast. She has five belts in Karate and she also does regular weight lifting to keep herself in shape. Fitness is an important aspect of our life. It is said that people often relate fitness just to celebrities and models. Well, what do you do to ensure that you are fit and active? And if you feel that fitness is primarily about climbing the…

Bangalore based journalist, L Subramani, who lost his vision to retinitis pigmentosa as a teenager, writes how he survived the horrors of being alone in a covid-19 isolation ward and facing death of fellow warrior. Room 209 had a single bed and a side bench. It faced up to a busy road where you could hear the constant rumbling of traffic and the wailing ambulance, far too often for my comfort. The hospital was generally silent, except for the violent coughing fit of a fellow covid-19 patient…

Having hope for a cure for an incurable disease is essential as it gives a purpose to be alive but making it the centre of your world is where the problem lies, writes Vineet Saraiwala.  My brother and I have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye condition in which vision deteriorates as age progresses. There is currently no scientific cure for my condition but I am optimistic of a cure with the rapid advancements in research happening across the world. Some medical conditions are…

Sanjeev Agrawal, 60, a Professor of Mathematics has been battling invisible illnesses all his life.  He reflects on how his responses to his daughter's challenges due to her invisible illnesses have been shaped by his experiences. #FathersDay series. Asked to write something for Father’s day for PatientsEngage, I go to the site and start wondering – do I write as a caregiver or as a patient? Rather than work out a theme, I decide to write about whatever comes, at this time, to my mind.…

Vineet Saraiwala, Inclusion Lead, Future Retail Limited, pays an emotional tribute to his mother, a mother of two sons with Retinitis Pigmentosa. A Mother's Day Special. It was my mother’s destiny to have two sons, both with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative disease in which vision deteriorates as age progresses. We, my brother and I, are glad that we are not alone in this journey as our mother is equally there in our struggles for the past 25 years. But we never noticed it. My mother’s…