Diabetic retinopathy is emerging as a major cause for blindness among working-age people in India, said ophthalmologists on occasion of World Sight Day. City doctors claimed that they are treating at least 25 patients suffering from the eye disease, which is the cause of unbalanced diet, changing lifestyle, obesity.
"In this condition, new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina and optic nerve. These immature blood vessels tend to rupture and bleed into the cavity of the eye, Scra tissue can also form from the ruptured blood vessels and can contract and pull on the retina causing retinal detachment and vision loss," said Dr Atul Kumar, Professor of Ophthalmology at AIIMS.
" Every day, in OPD, I see 25 patients' including children too," said Dr. Kumar
Dr Kumar also said the Dr RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences is getting 30-40 patients of ocular trauma, those who suffer injuries because of ball or any blunt object and thus stressed on taking enough precautions to prevent such injuries
Meanwhile, AIIMS is also conducting a National Blindness Survey to assess the causes of blindness in our country and the survey is being conducted in 30 districts spread in 24 States.