HYDERABAD: As World Glaucoma Week begins on Monday, experts say early detection of the disease helps in recovery of sight to a certain extent. With no specific symptoms, open angle glaucoma does not raise any alarm bell during initial and middle stages.
However, they will be able to see what is ahead of them as central vision is the last one to get effected. With no symptoms and central vision lasting till last stage of glaucoma, people don’t realise they are having the disease. In case of angle closure glaucoma, there will be symptoms such as dull ache in eye and recurring headaches. glaucoma (both open angle and angle closure) is a disease where optic nerve gets affected and if left undetected, it leads to irreversible blindness.
Ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialists listed out five risk factors and suggested people to undergo regular check-up every one or two years to know if they have the disease.The risk factors include—family history of glaucoma, blunt injury to eye, hypothyroidism or hypertension, prolonged use of medicines containing steroids, diabetes and constant change in eye sight.
As the blindness caused by glaucoma is irreversible, specialists say that it’s better if detected at an early stage. Ophthalmologists said that there are approximately 11.2 million people in the country and five-lakh people in Telangana who suffer from this disease. “If anybody in your family, specifically parents, has glaucoma and if one is above 35 years, then one should get a check-up done every one-two years,” Dr Manoj Chandra Mathur, president of Hyderabad Ophthalmological Society, pointed out. Earlier, high pressure on optic nerve was thought to be primary reason for the disease. However, it is now considered one of the important risk factors.
Dr Vanita Pathak Ray, senior glaucoma specialist, said that chronic form of the disease takes long time to develop and the function of nerve that gets affected initially slows change in side vision. Meanwhile, specialists say that the disease cannot be detected until complete examination is conducted.