Preventable corneal blindness rising among teenagers, youth

Corneal blindness, once considered a condition largely confined to the elderly, is now emerging as a significant threat among teenagers and young adults across the country, health experts have said.

- 

Corneal blindness, while serious, is a largely preventable cause of blindness. It occurs when the transparent front part of the eye, the cornea, becomes cloudy or scarred due to infections, trauma, or nutritional deficiencies.

Corneal opacities are now the second leading cause of blindness in India, affecting tens of thousands annually.

According to experts at the Indian Society of Cornea and Kerato-Refractive Surgeons' (IS-CKRS) three-day meet in New Delhi, India, records between 20,000 and 25,000 new cases of corneal blindness every year, and the number is growing.