Glaucoma ‘Silent blinding disease’
Are you a target?:
Manjari Peiris
World Glaucoma Week is celebrated from March
6 to 12, 2011 to raise awareness on the disease among the public
Raising awareness on the disease is very important as Glaucoma is the
second most common cause of blindness worldwide. It is estimated that
4.5 million people globally are blind due to this disease and that this
number will rise to 11.2 million by 2020 with the increasing number of
elderly people in the world by that year.
Glaucoma
* Causes progressive damage
to optic nerve
* Around 12 percent of
Lankans become blind
* Second most common cause
of blindness worldwide
* Caused blindness to 4.5 m
people around the world
* Around 50 percent of
affected people not aware about disease |
Owing to the silent progression of the disease, at least in its early
stages, up to 50 percent of affected persons in the developed countries
are not even aware of them having glaucoma. This number may rise to 90
percent in underdeveloped parts of the world.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage of
the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual
information to the brain.
Risk factors
If untreated, most types of glaucoma progress towards gradual
worsening visual damage without neither warning nor obvious symptoms to
the patient and may lead to blindness. Glaucoma is described as the
‘silent blinding disease’ as the damage is mostly irreversible.
There are several types of glaucoma - some may occur due to
complications of other visual disorders in the form ‘secondary
glaucoma’. However the majority is ‘primary’ occurring without a known
cause.
Though there was belief in the past that glaucoma is caused due to
high pressure within the eye, it is now accepted that even without
pressure, one may suffer from glaucoma. The risk factors for causing
glaucoma are the age (if over 40 years), racial ancestry, family
history, high myopia (use of thick glasses) use of steroids for long
time, short sightedness, high blood pressure or diabetes, eye injuries
and smoking. Some form of glaucoma may occur at birth during infancy and
childhood.
Vision loss
There is no cure for glaucoma as yet and vision loss is irreversible.
However medication or surgery (traditional or laser) can halt or slow
down any further vision loss.
Early detection is essential to limiting visual impairment and
preventing the progression towards severe visual handicap or blindness.
Eye care professionals can detect glaucoma in its early stage and advice
on the best course of action. It is vital that when a person goes for
routine eye examinations for spectacles, to remind the doctor to check
eye pressure as well.
Addressing a media awareness program on Glaucoma, Health Ministry
Additional Secretary Dr Palitha Maheepala said that in Sri Lanka 12
percent of people become blind due to Glaucoma, hence those who are over
40 years should get their eyes tested at least once a year, “especially
those who use thick lenses and diabetic patients should get their eyes
tested yearly,” he said.
Consultant Eye Surgeon, Eye Hospital Dr Muditha Kulatunga said that
one should be treated at the pre-preliminary stage for glaucoma.
According to her about 100 patients take treatment for glaucoma a day at
the Eye Hospital.
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