• Every five seconds, one person in the world goes blind.
• A child goes blind every minute.
• Eighty percent of the world's blindness is avoidable through proper treatment and prevention.
  

Although many eye problems affect people throughout the world, the five leading causes of blindness and vision loss are cataracts, trachoma, onchocerciasis, childhood blindness and uncorrected refractive errors.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Approximately 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of all or part of the normally clear lens within the eye, which results in blurred or distorted vision. Cataracts block or alter the passage of light into the eye. They form slowly and cause no pain. Some stay small and have little affect on vision at first; however, if the cataract grows (becomes denser), so does the impact on vision.

There are no medications or exercises that will prevent the formation or progression of cataracts; but, eating a diet rich in antioxidants or supplementing with antioxidants such as Vitamin A (beta carotene), Vitamin C, Vitamin E and selenium appear to prevent or slow the progress of cataract disease. A recent research report suggests that lutein and zeaxanthin (the only carotenoids found in the lens) may be of value in delaying cataract development. If your Eye M.D. determines that your cataracts seriously affect your ability to function, surgery will most likely be recommended. New advances and techniques have made cataract surgery one of the most successful and life-improving surgical procedures.

For detailed information on cataracts, please refer to EEO News, August Edition
- Cataract Awareness Month.

Trachoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, is a chronic and contagious infection of the eyelid and cornea. It is spread by contact with eye discharge from an infected individual and/or bacteria transmitted by an insect. The detrimental effects of this infection include corneal clouding, conjunctival and eyelid scarring, dry eyes and blindness. There are 5.6 million people blind, visually impaired or at immediate risk of going blind from Trachoma, making it responsible for 15 percent of the world's blindness. Trachoma is found in poor rural areas of Africa, parts of Central and South America, and some Eastern Mediterranean and Asian Countries. Antibiotic treatment of entire villages has been proven to be an effective eradication strategy.

Onchocerciasis, also referred to as riverblindness, is caused by onchocerca volvulus, a parasitic worm transmitted from person to person by the bite of the black fly. These flies, most commonly found in developing countries, flourish in fertile riverside areas. It is estimated that 100 million people are at risk for contracting river blindness. To date, 18 million people have the disease and 800,000 suffer from visual impairment because of it. Eradication measures include annual dosing of protective drugs for millions of people and environmental methods to control the blackfly.

Childhood blindness (worldwide) is most often caused by Vitamin A deficiency. As estimated 250 million pre-school children are Vitamin A-deficient putting them at great risk for contracting xeropthalmia, referred to as blinding malnutrition. Each year, 350,000 children go blind and two million die from lack of Vitamin A. In addition to Vitamin A deficiency, childhood blindness may also be caused by measles infection, conjunctivitis in the newborn, congenital cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity or other deficiencies. These conditions combined, have left more than 1.5 million children blind. Childhood blindness can be combated by Vitamin A supplementation and ensuring that primary eye care and education are easily accessible.

Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia, are disorders - not diseases. These disorders occur when the shape of the eye doesn't allow light to be refracted properly, making images blurred. To ensure the 135 million visually impaired individuals are able to correct their refractive errors, refractive services, corrective glasses and low vision services need to be affordable and available to all.

• Nearsightedness (myopia) - individual can see objects that are close; however, objects that are far away are unclear.
• Farsightedness (hyperopia) - individual can see objects that are far away; however, objects that are close are unclear.
• Astimatism - is the result of an eye that has an irregular corneal shape which can cause blurred vision.
  

Vision Loss from Eye Diseases Will Increase as Americans Age

It is also important to make note of recent studies reporting the increase in vision loss amongst aging Americans. Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over. This figure is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. The study suggests that low vision and blindness increase significantly with age, particularly in people over age 65. Individuals 80 years of age account for 69% of blindness in America. The study identifies age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy as the most common eye diseases in Americans age 40 and over. The importance of annual comprehensive eye examinations in preventing and/or delaying eye disease is strongly emphasized for this age group.