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Cornea
Cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye.
A number of conditions affect the cornea that leads to “Corneal disease”. The cornea can often repair itself after injury or disease, but more serious conditions — infections, degenerative diseases, deterioration — need treatment.
What are the main causes of corneal blindness?
- Injuries
- Malnutrition
- Infections
- Congenital Disorder
- Chemical Burns
Along with vitamin A deficiency, viral infections, road/ domestic accidents, and improper post-surgery care have been found as major reasons for the increase in corneal blindness. Several cases of corneal injuries are from farm injuries.
Younger age group more prone to injuries
Individuals with corneal blindness are usually of a younger age group. They get injured while playing. Injuries include injuries from toys like bows and arrows, other pointed objects children play with, firecrackers.
Corneal Injury in Adults
In adults, the major causes of corneal blindness include bacterial, fungal or viral keratitis, hereditary corneal dystrophy and eye injuries. The major causes of corneal morbidity in the elderly include trachomatous keratopathy, corneal degenerations and trauma-induced infectious keratitis.
Other Risk Factors Causing Corneal Ulcers
Chronically dry eyes, weakened immune systems, and seasonal or chronic allergies, you are also more prone to developing corneal ulcers.
Aging processes can affect the clarity and health of the cornea
Nisha Solanki belongs to a large family of two brothers and four sisters (of whom 3 are married). Both her brothers and elder sister attend school. Nisha’s father is mentally challenged. The responsibility of earning is on the mother, who is a daily wage farm labourer and grandmother, who tends to her goats. Two earing members for a family of ten.
Blindness in children leads to deep impact on psychological, emotional, and socioeconomic growth to the family. A child with blindness is more likely to have delays in developmental milestones, to be more frequently hospitalized, and die during childhood than a sighted child. Such severe vision loss also adversely effects the educational activities, orientation, and mobility from the early stage of life resulting in lack of employment privilege. These differential characteristics between a sighted and non-sighted child is more obvious in developing countries. Moreover, the disability adjusted life years (DALY) loss in a blind child is far more than that of adults with blindness.