Today is 'Eye Day'... "Get a simple 'Fundus Examination' to diagnose vision-threatening diseases"

Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Macular Degeneration
Increasing Trend in Patients with the Three Major Blindness Diseases
Fundus Examination to Assess Retina and Optic Nerve
Easily Available at Ophthalmology Clinics Nationwide

Poster for the 52nd Eye Day. [Photo by Korean Ophthalmological Society]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Thursday, October 13, the second Thursday of October, is 'World Sight Day' designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 52nd 'Eye Day' established by the Korean Ophthalmological Society. It was created to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and to promote regular eye health checkups. Especially, as the number of patients with the so-called 'three major causes of blindness'?glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration?is increasing, more attention to eye health is needed than ever before.

Early Symptoms of the 'Three Major Causes of Blindness' Are Difficult to Notice

All three diseases?glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration?have the problem that early symptoms are difficult to perceive. Glaucoma, a representative disease, is an eye condition where the optic nerve is gradually damaged, causing peripheral vision to blur first and eventually leading to blindness if the central vision is affected. The incidence rate is higher in patients with underlying conditions such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of glaucoma patients in Korea exceeded one million, increasing from 967,554 in 2020 to 1,080,029 last year.

Optic nerves damaged by glaucoma. From left to right: normal, early-stage glaucoma, late-stage glaucoma.
[Photo by Korean Ophthalmological Society]

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes caused by damage to the retinal capillaries exposed to high blood sugar levels over a long period. Unstable retinal blood vessels around the retina become blocked or burst, causing swelling in the central retina, which can lead to blindness in the worst cases. It can occur even if diabetes is controlled at normal levels, affecting two out of three patients who have had diabetes for more than 15 years. The number of patients in Korea also increased from 351,118 in 2020 to 367,441 last year.

Macular degeneration is a disease that damages the macula, the central part of the retina where photoreceptors are concentrated. It is a representative age-related eye disease and one of the major causes of blindness. The number of patients with age-related macular degeneration increased by 22.2%, from 166,007 in 2017 to 201,376 in 2020, showing the largest growth among the three major causes of blindness. It can also occur in younger patients with high myopia. Since the nerve tissue damaged by these eye diseases is difficult to recover and delayed treatment can lead to blindness, prompt treatment through regular examinations is the only solution.

The Importance of 'Fundus Examination' for Easy and Quick Eye Health Care

The easiest and quickest way to diagnose the three major causes of blindness is the 'fundus examination.' It is a basic precision test that allows easy assessment of the retina and optic nerve through the pupil, capturing the fundus with harmless wavelength light in less than one minute. It has no side effects or aftereffects and is available at over 2,500 ophthalmology clinics nationwide.

However, the medical community points out that awareness of the fundus examination is still low. Although it is included in most university hospitals and private health checkups, it is not a mandatory item in the national health screening program, so many people skip it because they have no symptoms.

In response, the Korean Ophthalmological Society and the Korean Ophthalmological Association have designated the week of October 10?16, which includes Eye Day, as 'Eye Love Week' and are conducting a campaign encouraging regular fundus examinations under the slogan 'Three Major Causes of Blindness, Fast and Easy with Fundus Examination!' Hospitals are also working to raise awareness of fundus examinations. The Catholic University Yeouido St. Mary's Eye Hospital plans to hold a free health lecture on fundus examination on the 14th. Retinal specialist Dr. Kim Da-young will give a lecture on fundus examination, followed by a Q&A session.

Lee Jong-su, Chairman of the Korean Ophthalmological Society and Professor of Ophthalmology at Pusan National University Hospital, emphasized, "Most eye diseases that cause vision loss have no early symptoms and are often neglected as presbyopia due to aging. Even without symptoms, regularly undergoing fundus examinations greatly helps in the early detection and prevention of blindness-causing diseases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.