17 minutes agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
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Trachoma has almost been eradicated from India. Trachoma has now been eliminated from the country. This means that the prevalence of trachoma cases in India is now less than 1%. This is a milestone for our country, for which the World Health Organization (WHO) has honored India. Till now only 20 countries of the world including India have achieved this feat. Trachoma is a type of bacterial infection. The bacteria that causes it is called Chlamydia trachomatis in medical language. More important than the name of a bacteria is its function. This bacteria has once been the main cause of blindness in the whole world including India. It is an infectious disease, which mainly affects the eyes. Due to this the inner surface of the eyelids becomes rough.
If this disease is left untreated, it can cause severe pain, corneal damage and eventually blindness. The biggest difficulty is that blindness caused by trachoma cannot be cured.
According to the World Health Organization, trachoma is still a major health problem in 39 countries of the world. Due to this, 19 lakh people across the world have lost their eyesight. Therefore, complete eradication of this disease from India is a huge achievement.
so today ‘Health Form’ I will talk about trachoma. You will also learn that-
- What causes trachoma to spread?
- What are its treatment and precautions?
- What kind of symptoms require caution?
Trachoma was the cause of 4% of blindness cases in India in 2005.
According to the World Health Organization, trachoma was responsible for 4% of blindness cases in India in 2005. After this, by the year 2018, the prevalence of trachoma had reduced to 0.008%.
After a detailed review of all the facts, figures and cases related to trachoma in India, the WHO team came to the conclusion that this disease has almost been eliminated from India. The team sent its recommendation to WHO and WHO approved it.
How many trachoma patients are there in the country and the world?
According to World Health Organization estimates, about 32.8 million people around the world were treated for trachoma through antibiotics in 2020, while more than 42,000 people were facing severe conditions. Therefore, the help of surgery had to be taken for his treatment. Today, approximately 19 lakh people in the world are blind or visually impaired due to trachoma. Trachoma is currently responsible for approximately 1.4% of cases of blindness worldwide.
Well-known ophthalmologist Dr. Digvijay Singh says that India’s health care system may have made a big achievement regarding trachoma. Despite this, doctors and common people need to maintain caution. Even a little carelessness can cause infection.
What kind of symptoms require caution?
Dr. Digvijay Singh says that the symptoms of trachoma are similar to normal eye infections. As time passes, the lesion on the white part of the eye increases. In this, first of all dryness increases in the eyes and swelling occurs in the eyelids. Then a stinging sensation starts in the eye and the cornea starts getting damaged. The symptoms of trachoma gradually progress and cause harm. Therefore, it is important to identify it early and get it treated.
What are its symptoms, see in the graphic.
How is trachoma spread?
This disease spreads through direct contact with secretions from the eyes, nose or throat of an infected person. If flies have come in contact with the secretions, trachoma can also be spread through them.
Dr. Digvijay Singh says that this disease spreads mostly in developing countries. The main reason behind this is that there is more dust and dirt there, due to which flies flourish more. In most cases of trachoma, flies are the carriers of the bacteria.
Dr. Digvijay Singh says that most of the trachoma cases he received came from rural or town areas because there is a higher risk of filth and flies breeding there.
If bacteria reaches our hands or face through any cloth, surface or fly, then it easily reaches the eyes and causes infection.
Trachoma is easy to treat
Dr. Digvijay Singh says that trachoma is a dangerous bacterial infection. It can cause blindness, but its treatment is equally easy.
Since the symptoms of trachoma increase gradually, sufficient time is available for its treatment and antibiotics are a very effective medicine in its treatment. Usually doctors recommend azithromycin. But we cannot take this medicine on our own without consulting the doctor.
What are the ways to prevent trachoma?
Dr. Digvijay Singh says that cleanliness is the most basic and important thing to avoid trachoma or any other bacterial infection.
Therefore, keep washing hands frequently. Especially before touching your face, wash your hands with clean water.
Flies are also carriers of bacteria in this infection. Therefore, keep cleanliness around your living place also. Apart from this, what other solutions can be found, see in the graphic.
Eradication of trachoma is great hope in fight against dengue, malaria
We have joined the list of 20 countries in the world which have eliminated trachoma. Dr. Digvijay Singh says that the eradication of trachoma is a great hope in the fight against many vector diseases spreading in India.
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According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the increasing screen time of children can prove to be a big problem in the future. This can increase the risk of many diseases. The problem of dry eyes is increasing in children due to watching too much screen. Read the full news…
