HYDERABAD: Normally, when any disease affects us, it can be classified into two. First – we would experience symptoms and start treatment. The other – there wouldn’t be any symptoms, which would subsequently create future problems. Glaucoma is one such eye disease that belongs to the latter category, where we wouldn’t experience any pain or even any vision change.
In India, glaucoma is the third leading cause of irreversible blindness, with nearly 12 million people affected and nearly 1.2 million people blind from the disease. This disease damages the eye’s optic nerve and is a leading cause of blindness for people over age 60. Glaucoma typically begins with affecting the far periphery of the vision. Most patients are unaware that they have the disease until it progresses and destroys central vision.
The symptoms experienced are – severe headache, eye pain, vomiting sensation and appearance of rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights. Such symptoms should be taken seriously and immediate examination must be done. Glaucoma cannot be prevented but it can be treated more effectively to avoid vision loss. Regular eye check-ups can forbid greater risk.
Upon detection of glaucoma, treatment should be started immediately with the prescribed eye drops. It reduces the formation of fluid in the eye or increase its outflow. It is necessary for a patient to undergo either laser surgery or microsurgery to prevent temporary or permanent loss of vision.(The writer is the Regional Medical Director at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital)