About 9 in 10 people have lost some degree of vision during the last two years of COVID pandemic, health experts said on Monday 24 January.

Retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration have few or minor symptoms at first and are only detected by eye examination or a screening.

These conditions have the tendency to create severe damage to the eyes if not timely intervened with.

"Owing to the fear of COVID, we have witnessed a decline in patients coming for a regular eye check-up in the past 3-4 months. This has resulted in delays in diagnosis and treatment, which can compromise vision in the long run," added Dr Chaitra Jayadev, Senior Vitreo-retinal Consultant, Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute, Bengaluru.

The longer one puts off visiting the clinic, the worse the eye health will get.

"With the third wave, we are seeing a similar pattern from the past, as patient visits, especially amongst elders, have dropped by nearly 50 percent. Since the retina cannot be replaced, missing an injection, or treatment follow ups, can magnify the eye disease," Dudani said.

Doctors also encouraged patients to take up teleconsultations.

There are vision tests that one can undertake sitting at home, whose reports can be sent to the doctor for examination and further intervention.

(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT)