BANGALORE: Three-month old Amrit (name changed) had to undergo a surgery to save his eye. From birth, one of Amrit’s eyes was affected with spurge weber syndrome-- a kind of glaucoma, where the cornea had started greying in a way and he could not even open his eye. At three months, a surgery at Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore saved his eye from further damage.
Amrit’s is not a stray case. Hospitals across the city have been receiving cases of glaucoma everyday, and the number of cases are increasing each year. It has been estimated that around 12 million Indians will be affected by glaucoma by 2010. City-based glaucoma clinic at Minto Eye Hospital has screened around 3,500 glaucoma patients from January 2008 till date, says Dr Chandraprabha, RMO, Minto Eye Hospital.
“We receive around four to five glaucoma patients every day. Besides there are around 10-12 people who turn up every day for follow-ups,” says Dr Sushma Tejwani, Consultant and Head, Glaucoma Services, Narayana Nethralaya.
Harsha (name changed) a 65-year-old from Whitefield, who was suffering from secondary glaucoma -- whereby the pressure in his eye increased to an extent that it caused another eye condition — had to undergo a glaucoma valve implantation. “Though the portion of vision which Harsha has lost cannot be regained, with medication further deterioration can be avoided,” she added.
Glaucoma, the silent sight stealer has no age barrier and crops up without any warning.
Another cause of concern is that of the vast majority of glaucoma cases, around 90 per cent go undiagnosed.
Many people are not even aware that they have glaucoma until they experience problems with seeing. “When a person starts developing glaucoma, only the surrounding vision gets affected, it is only when the central vision is affected does the people realise the difficulty in seeing,” added Dr Sushma.
In order to create awareness, eye hospitals and clinics across the city are conducting eye testing camps on the occasion of World Glaucoma Day: Free Glaucoma Screening Programmes at Narayana Nethralaya, Hosur Road and patient awareness programme at Narayan Nethralaya, Rajaji Nagar.
Free eye check-up at Prabha Eye Clinic, Jayanagar 8th Block and Vittala Institute of Opthalmology, Banashankari.
Facts about glaucoma The pressure inside the eye, called intraculor pressure is the casual risk factor. As the nerve fibres get damaged the field of vision starts getting affected slowly. Since initially only the peripheral field gets involved and its only in advanced stage that the central vision gets affected, the patient does not realize until it is too late. As all these changes that occur in glaucoma are irreversible, it cannot be cured , it can only be controlled.
Types of glaucoma Chronic Glaucoma- In this case the eye pressure rises very slowly and there is no pain to show there is problem, but the field of vision gradually becomes impaired.
Acute Glaucoma- This can be quite painful and can cause permanent damage to your sight if not treated promptly.
Secondary and Development Glaucoma- In the case of secondary glaucoma there is a rise in eye pressure caused by another eye condition. The development or congenital glaucoma common among babies is caused by malformation in the eye.
Symptoms Most patients who have glaucoma do not show any symptoms. There will be certain greying and enlargement of the black part in the eye. In case of children they get photophobia, the eye could remain watery and the whitish portion of the eye turns bluish. Person with glaucoma hardly experience headaches or a change in the power of his glasses, only in severe cases haloes may be seen around bright lights. In case of angle-closure glaucoma, the eye becomes red and extremely painful.
Nausea, vomiting and blurred vision may also occur.
Treatment Though total cure is not available, usage of eye drops, laser surgery, eye surgery or a combination of methods the pressure in the eye can be lowered so that further nerve damage and vision loss can be prevented. Once started, treatment has to continue for life and should not be stopped unless the doctor orders.