Eye Donation Facts and Myths

Wed Sep 09 2015

What you leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments, but what affects the lives of others. This can be exemplified best with the noble act of eye donation.  When you are born with the gift of sight, you are also born with the ability to change lives. Eye donation is an act of donating one’s eyes after death. It is definitely an act of charity, purely for the benefit of the society and is totally voluntary. Corneal blindness can be treated with the donated cornea. There aremillions of corneally blind people in the country. India today meets less than five percent of the demand of corneal transplants. There are around 171 eye banks in the country, but sadly only few are working in thetrue sense. On top of the acute scarcity in comparison to demand, eye donation has also been accused of some myths along the way that are baseless and have been debunked in the light of facts and evidence.Here are some of the common myths: A person with a previous history of cataract or glaucoma cannot pledge his or her eyes for donation. If a person has been operated/treated for the above mentioned conditions, then he or she can be considered for eye donation.  If you donate eyes you will be born blind in your next life. This is a great misconception as there is no written evidence in any of the religious books.  Old and senile people are not suitable for the act of eye donation. There is no age bar for eye donation. Anyone above one year of age can donate their eyes. Eye donation will leave holes in the place where eyes existed and will cause face disfigurement. Only the cornea of the eye is removed and thus there is no disfigurement of the face in reality. It is a long procedure and takes many hours. The whole procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You can sell your eyes for money/eyes are expensive to buy. Eyes are never bought or sold. It is an act of charity which is totally voluntary. You need to formally pledge your eyes in order to be eligible for donation. Although it is recommended to pledge your eyes, but the family of the deceased can come forward and donate the eyes. If you have spectacles, you cannot donate eyes. You can donate your eyes even if you are a spectacle wearer as it will not cause any hindrance. The act of Eye Donation should be encouraged as it is one of the humblest and best means of social service. Eyes from a dead person can enable two blind persons to get vision. Pledge to donate your eyes today, motivate others to do the same and educate others about eye donation. Pass on the gift of sight to someone who is in dire need of it and let your eyesight live forever through them. *The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of Centre for Sight.

Related Posts
Can summer air affect your eyes?
Wed Apr 10 2019
Facts and FAQs about Eye Donation
Mon Oct 03 2016
Eyeing summer with care
Tue Apr 29 2014
6 tips for a 6/6 Vision
Mon Feb 24 2020
National Braille Literacy Month
Mon Jan 06 2020
Surprising Animal Vision Facts
Thu Aug 03 2017
Get Rid of Computer Eye Strain
Mon Apr 28 2014
Herbs For The Eyes
Tue Oct 27 2015
Exercise benefits your eyes
Tue Sep 11 2018
Choosing the right Sunglasses
Mon Jul 06 2015
Get Ready for Examinations
Mon Nov 09 2015
Blindness in India
Sat Nov 22 2014
Common Eye allergies
Thu Jun 04 2015
5 Tips To Keep Your Vision Sharp
Tue May 28 2019
Eye Hygiene
Thu Dec 19 2019
Can LASIK fix Astigmatism?
Sat May 25 2019
10 facts behind the darkness
Thu Jul 07 2016
Eye Care during Monsoons
Mon Aug 24 2015
Eye-Care Tips for Your Workplace
Tue May 24 2016
Nutrition for Your Eyes
Tue Oct 27 2015
Choosing the right Sunglasses
Mon May 11 2015
Best Eye-Care Tips For Summers
Mon Jul 06 2015
Why do we cry?
Thu Aug 03 2017
How Pregnancy Affects Vision?
Sat Dec 12 2015
Nutrition for Healthy Eyesight
Sat Nov 22 2014
Eye-Care in summers
Mon May 11 2015
7 Tips for Summer Eye Care
Mon May 01 2017
Summer Eye Care
Thu May 15 2014
How to Take Care of Eyes Daily
Wed Apr 08 2020
Eye Convergence Exercises
Mon Mar 02 2020
Common Symptoms of Eye allergies
Mon Jul 06 2015
Appointment Specialist Locate Us Call Us
"I chose Centre for Sight to get rid of my glasses. Their treatment is permanent, has no side effects and gave me the freedom to live to the fullest."
Select Contact Method
Delhi NCR
Rest of India
Book an Appointment





    Proceed Next

    Find a Specialist
    Locate Us
    In Delhi / NCR