Cataracts....its causes and surgery.

Cataract is an age-related condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded, blurring vision. A cataract starts out small & at first has little effect on the vision. The vision is blurred a little, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Many studies suggest that exposure to ultra-violet light & cosmic radiation are associated with cataract. Other studies suggest people with diabetes, user of steroids, smokers, air pollution & heavy alcohol consumption etc are at high risk of developing cataracts. A diet rich in anti-oxidant such as beta-carotene (vitamin A), selenium, Vitamin C & E may forestall cataract development. Eating a lot of salt & meat may increase the risk. When symptoms begin to appear, the vision can be improved using new glasses, strong bifocals & magnification etc, but when it progresses enough to seriously impair the vision then one should think about surgery. During surgery, the clouded lens are removed & replaced with a clear, plastic intro-ocular lens. About 80% of blindness in India is due to cataracts. 670 million people world-wide are blind or visually impaired simply because they don't have access to an eye exam & eye glasses. So it is very essential to arrange more & more free eye check-up & surgery for underprivileged to prevent visual impairment. Observe 13th October as WORLD SIGHT DAY for restoring sight.

Awareness & prevention of cervical cancer.

In India every year around 134,420 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 72,825 die from the disease. Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of uterus which opens in the vagina. The main cause is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Other co-factors for progression from HPV infection to cancer are tobacco smoking, long term hormonal contraceptive use & co-infection with HIV. Early detection can reduce the incidence & mortality from this disease. For this, all women over the age of 20 should have cervical screening at least every five years. In cervical screening, cells from the surface of the cervix are collected painlessly & examined for any abnormalities. Some symptoms of cervical cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding ( between periods ), vaginal discharge tinged with blood & more rarely discomfort during intercourse. Women from low income population are at high risk as they have less education about safe sex practices & poor excess to health services. As HPV virus can stay in the body for years & after 15-20 years can develop as cancer, so it is advisable to administer preventive vaccine from the age of 9-24 years. So by the time a girl reaches her late 40s, she is safe-guarded. A one time dose of vaccine is given thrice in a span of year, with per dose coming at a price of Rs 2800 only. It is very expensive & to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer, it is very essential to vaccinate as many as possible. To vaccinate the underprivileged please donate so that we can do mass vaccination for better tomorrow.