Blindness that Cripples Part 2
In Medical news today, Dr McIntosh states “While 80% of visual impairment can be prevented or cured, there remains 20% of cases for which there is currently no way of curing. A range of conditions exists where those who develop them are faced with a gradual loss of vision until their impairment is so severe that they are effectively blind” in his article “How far away is a cure for blindness?” in News letter of Medical News Today..He explains further that retinal degeneration disorders have no cure. These diseases break down the retina, the layer of tissue found at the back of the eye containing cells that detect light entering the organ
A number of these degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and Usher syndrome are there. In particular, age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, he further continues.
A welcome development also stated by the above News Letter of (MNT) is that a new method called “retinal prosthesis” is being developed says Dr. Iezzi, in which “A camera connected to a pair of glasses transmits visual information to a small chip attached to the back of the eye via a small computer worn in a belt pack. The chip can send light signals directly to the optic nerve, bypassing the damaged retina and providing the patient with visual information in the form of flashes of light.” But there are issues says the doctor ”this method only produces very rough visual fields: the cells are stimulated, but they aren’t receiving the right signals, a sort of neural equivalent of “white noise”.”
“In patients who have already lost their sight, our therapeutic goal is to restore vision,” said Dr. Iezzi. “This has been successfully accomplished via the Argus II retinal prosthesis in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa.” Further Dr McIntosh says “ Last month, MNT reported on the story of Allen Zderad, a man who was effectively blind but is now able to make out the outlines of objects and people thanks to his new retinal prosthesis.”
The above news is very heartening indeed. Thanks to scientific research, it is not too far off that permanent blindness could become a thing of the past
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I don’t know much about blindness, so this was interesting news to read!
Thank You . Blindness in ones life especially at young ages would make victims living dead, I have viewed many cases at close range.I felt if I can share whatever I come across to the needy .its a big solace I feel. Thank u …. With regards….. kranand