Prevention of Blindness Week 2023: History, Significance and Tips to Prevent Vision Loss

PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS WEEK: Blindness and visual impairment affect millions of people across the world, resulting in serious social, economic, and health repercussions. If diagnosed early, many cases of blindness and visual impairment are either treatable or preventable. Hence, Prevention of Blindness Week serves as a timely reminder of the value of routine eye exams, good lifestyle choices, and the prevention of eye illnesses like cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

The first week of April is observed as Prevention of Blindness Week in India.

April 1 – April 7 marks the Prevention of Blindness week. It is observed to bring awareness towards various factors that can cause blindness. The week also aims to educate people about various eye injuries, and visual impairments, and how to avoid, treat, and cure them.

To promote proper eye hygiene, a national campaign is organised including teachers, social workers, health professionals, and free eye checkup clinics and camps. The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness-India (NSPB-I) coordinates Prevention of Blindness Week in India with the assistance of state and local branches.

Prevention of Blindness Week: Significance

Prevention of Blindness Week creates awareness about the importance of eye health and the prevention of blindness. It enables people, groups, and governments to support policies that support eye health and vision care, educate the common man about common eye disorders, and promote access to quality eye care services.

How To Prevent Vision Loss?

1. Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. This could detect if you need vision correction, common eye diseases like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration. Keep a check on your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
2. Eat the right food to protect your sight. Vegetables like carrots, spinach, and kale are good for your eyes. Fishes like salmon and tuna are high in Omega-3 and fatty acids and can help in keeping your eyes healthy.
3. We all are aware that smoking is injurious to health. It also impacts the health of the eyes and can increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, optic nerve damage and cataract, which can lead to blindness.
4. If you spend too much time in front of gadgets, it is highly possible that you can end up blinking less and causing fatigue. Try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. This can reduce eye strain.
5. Always wash your eyes before putting in contact lenses to avoid eye infections. Make sure to store the contact lenses as instructed and replace them on time.

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