Breakthrough in Medical Science: Eye Drops to Prevent Blindness

USA: Researchers have succeeded in developing a special formula to reduce and potentially cure cataracts, a well-known eye condition causing blindness in many sufferers. Although it has not been tested in practice, the research team is optimistic about the results once the treatment is implemented. They assert that this groundbreaking remedy, distributed as eye drops, could replace the currently offered option of costly and invasive surgery. 

The leading causes of cataracts are varied. In many cases, it is congenital; in others, it arises from prolonged use of chemical medications, metabolic changes, injuries, a history of chronic eye diseases, old age, and more. 

Cataracts cannot spread from one eye to the other, but as the disease progresses without proper treatment, the lens can become increasingly cloudy, leading to total blindness. Studies across the United States show that more than half of the adult population suffers from cataracts. Some have undergone surgery, while others are on ever-lengthening waiting lists for their turn. The surgery for cataract removal is recognized as safe and non-life-threatening, yet many hospitals worldwide cannot perform it due to a lack of qualified surgeons or advanced tools to conduct such operations. 

A comprehensive study by the Fred Hollows Foundation indicates that approximately 33 million people worldwide are blind, with about half losing their sight due to cataracts—a staggering figure, considering surgery could have prevented this. Therefore, the potential impact of these eye drops is clear: not only could they cure cataracts and eliminate the need for the painful and expensive surgery (not to mention the long wait involved), but they could also prevent patients from going blind, God forbid.