What are the most common types of blindness in 2020?

Around 80% of blindness is actually preventable.

If you know someone who is blind or partially blind, you’ll understand just how much this affects their life. While some people are born blind or with sight issues, others develop blindness over time - around 80% of blindness is actually preventable. Despite this, it is still extremely common in many parts of the world.

Glaucoma

One of the most common types of blindness is Glaucoma. Sadly glaucoma is not curable. However, glaucoma can be treated and alleviated using a small operation, helping patients to live easier lives.

Corneal Blindness

In countries like India, corneal blindness is one of the most common forms of blindness. This type of impairment affects the cornea, the part of the eye which reflects light and helps you to see. According to the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute, around 75% of corneal disease is curable, with the main barrier to treating and preventing the disease being the cost.

Cataract

Around 20 million people suffer from cataract blindness, making it one of the most common forms of blindness and luckily, it can be treated. Usually, cataract blindness develops when the lens of the eye is clouded due to injury or age. For those suffering from this kind of blindness, a 15-minute operation can help to replace the clouded lens.

Childhood Blindness

Another common form of blindness is childhood blindness. Around 1.4 million children in the world are blinded as a result of refractive errors, cataracts or injury, which affects the life they live.

Trachoma

Trachoma is a widespread infectious cause of blindness which affects around 1.9 million people around the world and can occur as a result of repeated infections. This can usually be treated in the early stages with the help of antibiotics, but surgery, known as trachomatous trichiasis, is usually required further down the line.

Many people are aware of how common blindness can be, but few understand just how many different types of blindness that there are. While some of these can be treated or cured, others need to be managed over a lifetime. If you think that you are experiencing any issues with your eyes, it is important that you get them checked out by a professional as soon as possible.