22/10/2025
October marks World Blindness Awareness Month. A moment to pause, to see through anotherโs eyes, and to understand not only vision loss, but the human experience behind it.
Hereโs how different conditions can change what we see:
1๏ธโฃ Cataracts : Vision turns cloudy, yellowed, and dim, like looking through a fogged window.
This happens when the eyeโs natural lens gradually hardens and becomes opaque. Colours lose brightness and glare worsens at night.
2๏ธโฃ Glaucoma : Peripheral vision fades first, slowly closing in until only a tunnel remains.
This condition is usually linked to damage to the optic nerve, often related to increased eye pressure, but it can develop silently.
3๏ธโฃ Diabetic Retinopathy : Bleeding inside the eye can cause drifting dark patches or โfloating shadows.โ It occurs when long-term diabetes weakens tiny retinal blood vessels, which may leak or burst.
4๏ธโฃ Macular Degeneration : The centre of vision blurs and distorts; faces warp, straight lines look wavy, and reading becomes difficult. Itโs caused by age-related damage to the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision.
5๏ธโฃ Retinitis Pigmentosa : Night blindness appears first, followed by gradual narrowing of vision, as if the world is shrinking into a pinhole. This condition is usually inherited and affects the light-sensing cells of the retina over time.
6๏ธโฃ Light Perception Only : The last remaining form of vision, where only brightness and shadows are detected, no shapes or colour. Some individuals may progress beyond this to complete loss of light perception.
Each condition affects sight differently, but most blindness is preventable with early diagnosis and care.
A simple eye exam can make all the difference.
๐ฉถ Because every eye tells a story and every story deserves to be seen.
(Symptoms and experiences may vary. For accurate diagnosis and treatment, consult your eye doctor.)
