Eye health is a cause of concern especially with increased screen time, people becoming more comfortable with the gadgets, and a sharp rise in diabetic patients in India.

Written by Editorial Team | Updated : November 26, 2021 4:33 PM IST

When was the last time you remember blinking your eyes? This action is largely subconscious and, hence, we are most of the time ignorant about its occurrence or non-occurrence. However, this is one of the most important actions required to protect the eyes. There is a whole detail of science behind blinking, but most of us have never given due attention to it. There are many other vital aspects of eyes that we rarely even think about. With the world going virtual and increasing screen time, eye health has become a cause of concern. A recent survey suggested that nearly 23 per cent of the Indian population saw their eyesight weakening because of excessive screen time. The pandemic has changed the delivery modes for education, work, and even entertainment. This is only going to add to the lifestyle disorders, which I like to categorize under the "rich man diseases" list.

With an increase in disposable income and improving standards of living, our first instinct is to fulfill our desires, then buy luxuries, higher-end cars, expensive vacations and add more comforts to our day-to-day living. These are natural aspirations and one must fulfill them. But due to the ease that seeps in, incidences of health issues like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other such lifestyle diseases rise significantly. Unfortunately, with higher spending on amenities, we scarcely add to our health spend kitty. In India, while disposable income is growing, household budgets are still poor on health. Our attention to the need for proactive well-being is very little. We spend on sunglasses as a fashion statement, but regular eye-checkups are not yet part of our bucket list.

Eye health is a cause of concern especially with increased screen time, people becoming more comfortable with the gadgets, and a sharp rise in diabetic patients in India. The four major eye-related issues that we see in India are - diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, AMD (age-related macular degeneration), and UV light impact. Even if we just consider the urban southern part of our country, research says that the awareness around diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma is extremely low at 27 per cent and 2.3 per cednt respectively. If we extrapolate this number at the country level, we can imagine the gravity of the issue. Most of the population is still unaware that many eye complications occur due to diabetes. This only indicates our limited attention to the most dominant of the human senses. Also Read Common Eye Infections During The Monsoon And How To Prevent Them3 Reasons Rose Water Is Your Eyes' Best FriendInternational Day Of Yoga 2022: Tips to Prevent or Reduce Digital Eye Strain More News

First and foremost, instead of getting trapped into the rich people's diseases, a parallel outlay on health is necessary. We have always been advised to "start early" for savings and investments.

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Anatomically, physiologically and psychologically, eyes and the brain are interrelated. In the development of better cognitive vision, optical vision contributes significantly. Vision requires the structural and physiological integrity of the eyes and brain and this vision is instrumental in developing cognitive intelligence. Understanding this relationship is very important to take eye health more seriously and proactively.

Young adults are curious to learn about such symbiotic relationships, preventive healthcare, health supplements, and so on.

Vision significantly influences our ability to engage in the workplace, our productivity, and in turn our income. A recent study published by Lancet shows that, in India, the provision of near vision spectacles resulted in significantly increased productivity of people with presbyopia in harvesting tea, the proportion of households with a monthly income of less than 1,000 rupees decreased from 51 per cent to 21 per cent with just a simple cataract surgery. To maintain the lifestyle that we have achieved, adopting solutions to keep our eyes healthy is critical.

(This artivcle is authored by Mr. Sanjaya Mariwala, Founder President of the Association of Herbal and Nutraceuticals Manufacturers of India (AHNMI) and Executive Chairman and Managing Director at OmniActive Health Technologies)

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this article are the author's own and readers are advised to exercise discretion while trying out any tips / advice.

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