Untreated damaged tissues in the eyes can lead to blindness - Ophthalmologist

Untreated damaged tissues in the eyes can lead to blindness – Ophthalmologist

Oct 10, 2019 News

On Monday’s Edition of Kaieteur Radio’s “Your Health Matters”, Ophthalmologist, Dr. Celeste Hinds, said that the most common cause of blindness seen at the Georgetown Public Hospital is as a result of disease.

Ophthalmologist, Dr. Celeste Hinds

“Those common diseases like diabetes, cataract, and age related macular degeneration can lead to blindness,” she said. In addition to these, infections can also make one become blind and they occur from a number of instances.
Dr. Hinds went on to say that a knock to the eye or sand entering it and being rubbed can cause mucus or pus to accumulate and run out of the eye. This is an indication of an eye infection.
If treatment and medical attention is not sought, tissues can be damaged and the scar tissue formed, and this process would cause a severe reduction of the visual quality, eventually leaving that person blind.
“Mainly at GPHC, the three main diseases that lead to blindness are cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy,” said Dr. Hinds. Depending on the disease a person is suffering from, their signs and indications of the onset of blindness is different.
The Ophthalmologist explained that cataract is a progressive disease and persons suffering from it will notice over a period of time that things are getting cloudy, they may be seeing rings around lights and colours are having a yellowish tint to them.
If someone has diabetic retinopathy, they may experience spots in the vision as if there is something floating and blocking parts of their vision. This could be actual bleeding in the retina manifesting in their vision as well and should be checked out.
Glaucoma, however, does not have any initial signs. “You could be living with glaucoma for years and years and you’re seeing perfectly fine,” said Dr. Hinds as she revealed that “you normally start losing vision in one eye at a time and it closes in to a tube like point which is called tunnel vision.”
It is therefore important to get check-ups and eye screening at least once a year to avoid complications so that any disease or infection that may lead to blindness can be detected early, monitored and treated, the ophthalmologist said.

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