Beat invisible glaucoma

 Dr Pranathi : Glaucoma is an eye disease that can cause irreversible loss of vision. It causes damage to the optic nerve which carries information from eye to the brain. In its early stages, glaucoma usually has no symptoms. By the time you notice problems with your sight, the disease has progressed to the point that irreversible vision loss has already occurred and additional loss may be difficult to stop. The world-wide prevalence of glaucoma is estimated to be 3.54%, disproportionately affecting individuals located in Asia and Africa. Global projections estimate that around 80 million people will have disease by 2020. Around 11.2 million in India are suffering with this disease.

The two major categories of glaucoma are open angle glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma.Risk factors of open angle glaucoma are: High intraocular pressure, high myopia,  age above 60 yrs ,family history of glaucoma, high blood pressure, diabetes, Usage of steroids in the form of inhalers, pills, drops, creams for prolonged time, eye injuries.

Risk factors for angle closure glaucoma are: Hypermetropia, age above 60 yrs, females, family history of glaucoma,
Screening for glaucoma.

Regular comprehensive eye examination can detect glaucoma in early stages before irreversible damage occurs. So annual eye check-up is mandatory to diagnose this blinding disease.

(Writer is Consultant Ophthalmologist, KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad)