Early Detection is Key for the '3 Major Blindness Diseases'... "Prevent Quickly and Easily with Fundus Examination"

Korean Ophthalmological Society Promotes Fundus Examination Campaign on 'Eye Day'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Korean Ophthalmological Society announced on the 5th that it will conduct a campaign to encourage regular fundus examinations to prevent the three major causes of blindness?glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration?ahead of the "52nd Eye Day" on the 13th of this month.

The fundus refers collectively to the retina, retinal blood vessels, and optic disc, which are nerve parts essential for vision. A fundus examination is a basic precision test that easily assesses the condition of the retina and optic nerve. It is performed by photographing and inspecting the internal structures of the eye through the pupil using a fundus camera, a non-invasive method that can be completed within a short time of less than one minute.

In particular, fundus examination is the most efficient screening method to prevent blindness. Since it uses harmless wavelengths of light to capture images in a short time, there are no aftereffects, and safe examinations are already easily and quickly available at over 2,500 ophthalmology clinics nationwide.

According to the 2017 and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey jointly conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korean Ophthalmological Society, the prevalence of major eye diseases among people aged 40 and over was 13.4% for macular degeneration, 4.3% for glaucoma, and 18.7% for diabetic retinopathy. Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is progressively damaged, causing peripheral vision to blur and eventually affecting the central vision, leading to blindness. It has a higher incidence rate in people with underlying conditions such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the representative complications of diabetes, caused by damage to the retinal capillaries exposed to high blood sugar levels over a long period. This leads to blockage or rupture of unstable retinal blood vessels around the retina, causing swelling in the central retina and potentially resulting in blindness. Macular degeneration is a disease that damages the macula, the central part of the retina where photoreceptors are concentrated. It is a typical age-related eye disease and one of the major causes of blindness.

The Korean Ophthalmological Society conducts a campaign every year on "Eye Day," designated as the second Thursday of October, to encourage regular fundus examinations for the promotion of public health and eye health. The society also continuously proposes the introduction of fundus examinations into the national health screening program.

Lee Jong-su, Chairman of the Korean Ophthalmological Society and Professor of Ophthalmology at Busan National University Hospital, said, “As we enter the ultra-aged society, early detection of the three major causes of blindness, whose prevalence increases with aging, is of utmost importance. Even without symptoms, we recommend that families visit an ophthalmology clinic together on Eye Day for preventive fundus examinations.”