What are the common causes of blindness?

The most common causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma and macular degeneration related to age. Other causes include diabetic retinopathy, child blindness and infectious diseases. The causes of blindness differ greatly between developed and developing countries. In developed countries, blindness occurs most often in conditions associated with aging. There is a much higher incidence of blindness in developing countries that can be preceded due to infection and cataracts.

In the United States, age -related glaucoma is one of the main causes of blindness. There are different types, but glaucoma results in damage to the retina and optical nerve, usually reducing the field of view. Glaucoma causes approximately 15 percent of all blindness in US screening for glaucoma after the age of 40 years can prevent further loss of vision if the disease is detected. After catharacks it is the second most common cause of blindness around the world.

Macular degeneration associated with age (AMD) is the progressing of vision that mcan be part of the aging process. Usually this does not cause complete blindness, but can difficult to read or see things sharply. AMD has no drug and is not well understood when no obvious cause is present.

Retinal neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes, and another of the main causes of blindness in the US occurs due to reduced eye circulation, which can damage the retina. The retina neuropathy may worsen vision and can lead to complete blindness. Other causes in the US include congenital blindness, accidents and infections.

In the United States, the most common eye problem requiring medical treatment cataracts, but it is not one of the common cause of blindness. Cataracts are the cloudy of the lens of the eye, which worsens the vision by being more difficult to pass through the light. Most people have more thvěk 50 years old have some lens turbidity. Cataracts can be treated and renewed by implanting the artificial lens. Cataracts are not treated in many developing countries, which is by far the main cause of blindness around the world.

Infectious causes of blindness are relatively rare in developed countries, but are much more common in developing countries. The resulting blindness usually avoids if the diseases are treated in their early stages. The most common infectious cause of blindness is a trachoma, which can lead to the scarring of the cornea and the overall loss of vision. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of global blindness can be prevented by improving nutritional, medicinal and hygiene.