New Delhi, Aug 4 : Corneal blindness, once considered a condition largely confined to the elderly, is now emerging as a significant threat among teenagers and young adults across the country, health experts said on Monday.

Corneal blindness, while serious, is a largely preventable cause of blindness. It occurs when the transparent front part of the eye, the cornea, becomes cloudy or scarred due to infections, trauma, or nutritional deficiencies.

Corneal opacities are now the second leading cause of blindness in India, affecting tens of thousands annually.

According to experts at the Indian Society of Cornea and Kerato-Refractive Surgeons' (ISCKRS) three-day meet in New Delhi, India, records between 20,000 and 25,000 new cases of corneal blindness every year, and the number is growing.

'A large number of fresh corneal blindness cases in India are now being seen in individuals under the age of 30 years. We are witnessing a dangerous shift. Young people are losing their vision due to entirely avoidable conditions,' said Prof. Rajesh Sinha, Professor of Ophthalmology at AIIMS, New Delhi.

'Simple infections, untreated injuries, and lack of awareness are turning into permanent visual disabilities,' he added.

At the event, the expert panel highlighted factors such as trauma-related injuries, particularly among youth engaged in agriculture, manual labour, or industrial work, behind this disturbing rise.

These injuries often go untreated or are addressed with home remedies, leading to serious infections and scarring.

Simultaneously, Vitamin A deficiency, still prevalent in many parts of the country, continues to cause severe corneal damage in children and adolescents. These issues are compounded by low awareness, lack of early diagnosis, and inadequate access to specialized eye care in rural and underserved regions, the experts said.

'It is unacceptable that in 2025, we are still losing thousands of young eyes to entirely preventable causes. India must treat corneal blindness among youth as a public health emergency. A national strategy with strong community engagement is the need of the hour,' Dr. Ikeda Lal, Senior Consultant, Cornea, Cataract and Refractory Surgery at a leading hospital in the national capital.

Lal further emphasised the importance of early detection and preventive care, particularly in rural and school-based health programs.

'Even minor symptoms like redness, irritation, or blurred vision should never be ignored. By the time many patients arrive at tertiary centres, the damage is already irreversible,' she explained. She also advocated for tele-ophthalmology and mobile eye-care clinics to bridge the urban-rural divide in access to care.

/IANS