The senses are the most important tools used to perceive the environment. In particular, the eyes have the most important place among all the senses, with their contribution to the formation of 80% of our perceptions. Associate Professor Dr. Levent Akçay from Dünyagöz Altunizade hospital stated on World Sight Day on October 11 that the ability to see can be protected with regular eye examinations, and also said: “Unfortunately, people do not understand the importance of the eyes until a serious problem arises. However, loss of vision can lead to irreversible consequences. For this reason, regular eye examinations are essential to maintaining the quality of life.”
The eyes, which are the most vulnerable organs of the body to external factors, are also one of the most important sense organs used in the perception of the environment. Emphasizing on World Sight Day the importance of protecting eye health, Associate Professor Dr. Levent Akçay said: “Our eyes allow us to perceive 80% of all interactions with the environment and are of great importance for maintaining the quality of life. Unfortunately, the eyes are not given due attention until it begins to affect the quality of life. Dozens of diseases, such as unrecognized refractive errors, cataracts, and glaucoma seriously threaten vision.”
These diseases are the main causes of vision loss and blindness.
Associate Professor Dr. Levent Akçay shared information about diseases that cause loss of vision and blindness and said: “If you do not take the necessary precautions, many diseases that threaten vision and the sense of sight arise. According to research, the leading causes of vision loss worldwide are uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Among these disorders, cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, and glaucoma are the most important causes of blindness. All of these diseases can be completely treated or their impact on vision can be prevented with the help of interventions that need to be taken if diseases are diagnosed at an early stage. However, the only precaution that can be taken against diseases such as glaucoma, whose symptoms are more insidious comparing other diseases and which do not show up until serious consequences begin, is to complete regular eye examinations.
Vision loss affects these sections of society the most
Emphasizing that cases of vision loss and blindness have serious consequences for different sections of society, Associate Professor Dr. Akçay said: “The consequences of vision loss can be grouped into four main groups. Children, the workforce, senior citizens, and vehicle owners stand out as the sections of society most impacted by visual loss. In addition to reduced school performance and the risk of severe vision loss in the long term, emotional and social development problems are the most serious consequences of vision loss in children. From an economic standpoint, lost productivity due to undiagnosed vision loss results in hundreds of millions of dollars lost each year. In addition, we must not forget about those who cannot use their potential due to vision problems and therefore cannot find a job. On the other hand, vision problems in old age due to difficulty performing everyday tasks increase the chance of unwanted falls and injuries. Undiagnosed vision problems have a big impact on the traffic accidents that often occur in our country. Despite all these negative consequences for society, we can only understand the value of vision when we lose it. To protect the eyes from such negative effects and preserve the quality of life I, on World Sight Day, encourage everyone to get regular eye examinations and pay more attention to the most important senses, our eyes.
