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Eye Donation: Rumors Vs Reality!

Eye donation is one of the noblest acts of charity that you can do. Medical advancements have helped millions of those who have corneal blindness to be able to see. This has been possible due to the selfless acts of those who have pledged their eyes. In India, eyes donation is not a monetary exercise, and it is a complete act of charity. In most cases, the donation of eyes from one person cures blindness in two people. And yet, only five per cent of the demand is met for corneal transplants (source). This is because many myths are associated with eye donation. Read on to separate the facts from the fiction.

Myths about Eye Donation

1. Face Disfigurement

Most people do not donate eyes due to religious reasons. It is a myth that those who donate eyes will suffer face disfigurement by having holes in the place of eye sockets. In most religions, the religious texts do not mention this anywhere. Also, in the process of eye donation, only the cornea is removed and not the entire eye.

2. Blindness in Next Birth

Another religious misconception is that eye donation in this birth leads to blindness in the next one. Eye donation is an act of charity that is bound to earn blessings.

3. Ineligibility Due to The Previous History of Eye Diseases

If someone has a previous history of eye diseases like glaucoma or cataract but has been treated or operated for them, they can pledge and donate their eyes.

4. Aged People Ineligible for Eye Donation

The lower age limit to donate eyes is one year. Over and above that anyone can donate eyes. Age or mental condition is not a criterion for eye donation.

5. Quality of Eye Donation in India

It is a misconception that the eyes of Indian donors are not good enough for corneal transplants. Once the doctors have evaluated the eyes for eligibility, they can be transplanted. Age, nationality, race, caste or the colour of the eyes has no bearing on their quality.

6. Corneal Transplants Are An Experiment

Unlike the misconception that corneal transplants are still in the experimental stages and still in their infancy, these are proper medical procedures that have been regularly successful and are performed on a daily basis.

7. Consent From Relatives

Even if you have pledged your eyes after your death, your family members will be asked for their permission to conduct the procedure.

8. Length of the Procedure

It is a perpetuated myth that eye donation is a tedious process. In reality, the entire operation takes just 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Eyes Are Expensive

It is a misconception that eyes can be bought or sold. It is a total act of charity without money being involved at any step.

10. Doctors Won’t Save Your Life

This is another misconception about eye donations. Most people believe that pledging their eyes will discourage doctors from saving their lives. The doctors are dedicated to protecting the life of every patient that comes in their care. Only after death, the option of eye donation comes up.

11. Pledging Eyes Before Death

If someone hasn’t pledged their eyes before their death, it doesn’t mean that their eyes cannot be donated. The family members can volunteer for the eyes of the deceased to be donated.

Spectacle wearers, those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, etc, those who have undergone cataract surgery can also donate eyes.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Facts about Eye Donation

1. Eye Donation Has a Time Limit

Eyes can be donated only within six to eight hours after death. It takes about a quarter of an hour. It doesn’t delay funeral arrangements and nor does it prohibit the opening of the caskets at the funeral. The body is treated with respect and is not mutilated at all.

2. Anyone Can Pledge Their Eyes

Irrespective of their medical history or their age, any person can pledge their eyes. The team from the eye donation centre will determine at the time of the donor’s death if his eyes are eligible for transplant. Those who have had diabetes, glaucoma, cataract or those who wear spectacles can pledge their eyes.

Read More: How To Keep Your Eyes Healthy?

3. Contraindications For Eye Donation

There are certain situations in which people cannot donate their eyes. Those who have died or have suffered because of AIDS, septicemia, rabies, viral encephalitis, retinoblastoma, lymphoma, leukaemia amongst other medical conditions are ineligible for eye donation.

Will watching too much TV, hurt your eyes? Debunk myths.

4. Only Cornea is Transplanted

The cornea is the outer portion of the eyeball that is transparent. It transmits light to the eye and is like a protective sheet over the eye. It is this part that is used for eye donation. Since the cornea receives a limited supply of blood and gets its oxygen from the air instead of the bloodstream, it doesn’t pose problems concerning blood type matching. Also, the cornea does not have blood vessels. This makes it an ideal organ to be transplanted. Only corneal blindness can be treated with eye donations.

5. Eye Donation Works Twice Fold

The eyes donated by one person are given to two people. To decrease the rate of corneal blindness, only one eye is transplanted. Thus, just with one act of charity, two people benefit.

6. Eye Donations are Never Refused

No matter what your health condition, an eye donation is never refused. This is because even if the eyes cannot be used to provide sight to someone who has corneal blindness, they can be used for research or medical education.

7. High Success Rate of Corneal Transplants

The success rate of corneal transplants is very high. More than 90% of operations can restore sight to the person.

The cornea is the past part of the eye that is most frequently donated and transplanted. The rest of the eye is equally as important as the cornea in saving the eyesight, helping find cures and treatment for eye disorders and thus a reliance on donated eyes.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D

Importance of Eye Donation

Blindness is a major cause of concern around the world today. According to WHO, after cataracts and glaucoma, blindness is mostly caused by corneal impairments. Most of these impairments are curable, especially through eye donation, which refers to donating one’s eyes after death. Just like any other body organ, the cornea of the eye can also be donated after death which will render vision to the blind.

Though all organs of the body are equally significant, the eyes can somehow be considered a little more special. It renders us vision and lets us enjoy the aesthetics that the world has to offer. However, due to several kinds of visual impairments, many people lose their vision and the world turns dark for them. We can give them the gift of light by a simple step of eye donation.

Eye donation is an act of donating one’s eyes after his/her death. It is an act of charity, purely for the benefit of society and is totally voluntary. The eye donation of the deceased can be authorized by the next of kith & kin even if the deceased did not pledge to donate his or her eyes before death. Age or systemic illness such as diabetes or hypertension, heart disease, and kidney disease is not barriers to eye donations. The corneas of a person are unaffected even if they have undergone any eye surgeries in the past and hence will be useful can be transplanted in others.

Donated eyes can be used to restore vision in people who are suffering from corneal blindness. The front, clear and transparent tissue of the eye called the cornea can be used to restore vision in a corneal blind person. The other portions of the eye are also used for research and training purposes to develop cures for some of the common eye diseases. From each pair of donated eyes, two blind people will get vision and light into their life, thus making it more divine.

Conclusion

Eye donation doesn’t use money at any step, and this makes it the most generous act of charity. Without any effort, it can help reduce blindness in the world.

Also Read: 10 Best Foods for Eye Health

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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Importance of Eyes & Why We Should Take Care Of It

There has been a drastic rise in the number of people suffering from vision impairments and eye problems due to digitalisation and extreme working hours. This number is not restricted to the adult population but many kids and teenagers are also increasingly getting issues pertaining to vision.

In this health blog, we would understand all about eye care and health from Dr Leena Doshi, a leading ophthalmologist who specialises in cataract and LASIK. She is among the panel of doctors in ONGC and is also a medical officer for class I and II eye examinations for pilots. Dr Leena Doshi is an active participant in various live TV shows and eye health forums. She is also a part of the telemedicine team in Nanavati Super-speciality Hospital.

There has been an increasing awareness about eye health and healthy vision in recent times. We have become more health-conscious and don’t want to feel crippled by spectacles and eye impairments.

”Majority of the concerns I deal with are pertaining to symptoms related to digital eye strain that has gone up in recent times.”

Digital Eye Strain and Computer Vision Syndrome

In today’s active work life, digitalisation has become inevitable and so has the stress on the eyes and vision. We are constantly exposed to digital gadgets and laptops on a daily basis. With even education going digital, your kids are now prone to eye impairments and vision disabilities. Thus, there has been a growth in the number of kids requiring optical assistance for their eyes as well. In order to prevent such complications at such an early stage, you need to ensure that your kids are regularly taken to an eye doctor and their eye health is constantly monitored.

”Taking a child to the eye doctor doesn’t necessarily mean he/she will get glasses. This is something all parents must clearly understand”.

The growing stress to the eyes due to excessive and prolonged exposure to laptop, tablets, mobile and computer screens leads to a condition called digital eye strain and it further complicates the computer vision syndrome. The vision syndrome occurs due to repeated back and forth movement of your retina on the screen which requires constant focusing and refocusing. Your eyes tend to become hypersensitive to changing images and fonts that tend to exhaust your eye muscles.

”The number of hours people are putting into looking at screens has drastically gone up in the recent times”.
Incidence of Vision Impairments and Doctor Visits

While anyone who is exposed to digital devices is prone to vision-related issues and must keep a regular check on their eye health, if you have a history of glaucoma, diabetes  and high blood pressure, you need to have a constant check on your overall eye health. This is especially true if you or anyone in your family has a history of diabetes. Diabetes tends to pose an array of serious eye-related complications like diabetes retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts. Inform your doctor if you have any history of allergy to medicines (if experienced in the past).

”If vision impairment runs in the family, it could mean an early onset for you and hence you need to be regularly checked.”
General Tips to Keep Your Eyes Healthy-

To keep the eyes healthy, it is advised to follow the following tips:

Eat at least 5 servings daily of fruits and vegetables, don’t smoke, take regular breaks while doing computer work and other tasks that mostly involve your eyes, wear your glasses, wear sunglasses when outdoors that protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Read more on Eye Health Tips

Healthy Nutrition for Healthy Vision

Your eyes demand strong nutrition as well and correct oral health is rudiment to maintain a healthy vision.

”Just because some diet worked for someone doesn’t mean it will work for you.”

Tips for eating right for your eyes:

Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy are very commonly diagnosed conditions in patients visiting an Ophthalmologist, identifying and reporting the symptoms like vision changes, painful eyes, and redness of the eyes is important for an early diagnosis.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.

Also Read: 10  Best Foods For Eye Health

”Overall nutrition something which is really important for everyone”

In Conclusion

Vision has both quantitative and qualitative parameters. While reading a chart is the quantitative part and reading it fully with ease is qualitative and defines how good your vision is. Visiting an eye doctor, visiting an optician and getting your vision checked are two different things. One must not confine to just checking the vision and must get a full report of the overall eye health.

Also Read: Misdiagnosed Eye Conditions: Is it Pink Eye or Something Else?

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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