Eye Health

Risk Factors of Age-related Macular Degeneration Age is the most important risk factor for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD or ARMD). The risk increases multiple folds in age above 70 years. Other risk factors include smoking, genetic susceptibility and family history. Cardiac illness and hypertension are also considered as important risk factors of Age related Macular Degeneration. Contributed by  Dr Brijesh Takkar CRTP Fellow, IHOPE Consultant Ophthalmologist, Vitreo Retinal…

What Is Age related Macular Degeneration There is a population shift towards older age worldwide, and even in India around 180 million individuals are estimated to be at or above 60 years by 2026. As per the national survey conducted in India, 5% of blindness in the older population is caused by retinal diseases, of which age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD) is a common cause.   AMD, a condition that affects the central vision of a person, is an acquired cause of retinal…

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Dr Chandrima Paul, Opthalmologist Kolkata, and Honorary General Secretary, Glaucoma Society of India, talks about the risks of Glaucoma and the importance of early detection.  #WorldSightDay #Glaucoma  What percentage of glaucoma patients go blind? A 2001 report said that Glaucoma is the 3rd major cause of blindness in India. It causes almost as much as 5.9 per cent of blindness. It is almost an irreversible cause of blindness.…

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…