Don't let APRIL go blank

BROWN APRIL, A CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT BLINDNESS O Florianopolis Eye Hospital (HOF) joined the Abril Marrom campaign, aimed at preventing blindness. This year, the focus of the movement is glaucoma, the main cause of irreversible vision loss, caused by damage to the communication between the optic nerve and the brain. Gradually and imperceptibly, "blind spots" begin to appear that will only be noticed after considerable damage, when the entire nerve is destroyed and blindness occurs. Currently, this problem can be safely corrected through eye drops or surgery. According to the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology, there are more than 1,2 million blind people in the country, and the causes are closely related to the lack of prevention, since blindness is a disease that usually arrives silently. Visiting the eye doctor regularly allows the patient to notice the problem early, which makes treatment easier. The World Health Organization estimates that between 60% and 80% of cases of blindness are preventable or treatable. This means that almost 700 Brazilians who are blind could be seeing if they had discovered the disease in time. Improving and increasing the prevention, diagnosis, early treatment and rehabilitation of blindness are essential to change this situation in the country. In addition to glaucoma, blindness can result from age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Cataract, if all the structures of the eye are preserved, is another disease that can be eliminated through surgery, guaranteeing the total restoration of vision. Blindness can be acquired throughout life or in the mother's womb. That's why consulting an ophthalmologist should be routine and has no age - the sooner you create the habit, the more eye-related diseases will be avoided. Daniele Lottermann Journalist I48I 9909-8442