Early detection of glaucoma, a progressive and degenerative disease of the optic nerve leading to irreversible blindness, is key to arrest damage to eyes. Unlike cataract, this ailment is usually asymptomatic. However, timely treatment can help the patient retain useful vision lifelong, doctors said.
As World Glaucoma Week — observed globally during the second week of March every year — comes to an end, doctors asserted the need to create awareness about glaucoma.
Terming the ailment as a “silent thief of sight”, K. Bhujang Shetty, chairman and managing director of Narayana Nethralaya group of hospitals, said there is a need to alert people to have their eyes checked regularly to eliminate glaucoma blindness. To mark the week, the hospital organised a 5 km #runforsight in association with Bhasin Sports, Fast & Up, and Perfect Bounce on March 13th wherein over 500 people including 100 doctors participated.
Pointing out that 90% of people suffering from glaucoma in India are unaware about the disease, Dr. Shetty said several patients have suffered partial loss of vision because they missed out on their follow up during the pandemic.
“This ailment is usually asymptomatic with no early warning signs. The effect is so gradual that people may not notice any change in vision until the condition progresses to an advanced stage. Hence, the only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get regular comprehensive eye examinations done. It is unfortunate that many patients missed their regular follow up during the pandemic and are now reporting with partial loss of vision,” he said.
“One should get a baseline eye screening at the age of 40 years when early signs of eye disease and changes in vision may start to occur. If you have risk factors for developing glaucoma like diabetes, high blood pressure, high plus or minus glass power, eye injury, have been under treatment with local/systemic steroids or have a family history of glaucoma, you should see an eye doctor to determine how often to have eye exams,” Dr. Shetty explained.
Bindiya Hapani, consultant ophthalmologist at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital said usually, the first symptoms of glaucoma are seeing halos or rainbow-colored circles around lights or having unusual sensitivity to light.
“Glaucoma can affect people of all age groups and even those who do not have any chronic conditions or family history. Even children are diagnosed with congenital glaucoma. In general, glaucoma cannot be cured but it can be controlled. Eye drops, pills, laser procedures and surgical operations are used to manage glaucoma conditions. Trabeculectomy, a type of glaucoma surgery performed on the eye to create a new pathway for fluid inside the eye to be drained, has been the main surgical procedure worldwide for several decades,” she said.
