Are you at risk of silently losing your vision?

Half of those suffering damage from the eye condition ‘Glaucoma’ do not know it!

“Just like your Blood Pressure is checked regularly, the Intra Ocular Pressure or IOP should be checked for every person undergoing an eye examination to screen for an eye condition called ‘Glaucoma’ since it can occur in the absence of any symptoms.

Further, persons With family history of Glaucoma can undergo a sensitive test- SWAP Test which detects changes in eye when glaucoma is suspected well before the optic nerve shows the effects of Glaucoma”, says Dr. Anand Shroff, Glaucoma Specialist at Shroff Eye Hospital

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, especially for older people. However, visual loss is preventable with early diagnosis and treatment.

This disease is called the ‘Sneak Thief of Sight’ because it is painless, symptom- less and irreversible. Therefore, persons with glaucoma are usually unaware of it until much loss of vision has occurred.

In fact, half of those suffering damage from glaucoma do not know it! Glaucoma damages the optic nerve because of high pressure within the eye, leading to defects in the field of vision. If the entire optic nerve is damaged, it results in irreversible blindness.

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You have a high risk for Glaucoma…if:

• Someone in your family has a history of glaucoma.
• If you are over 40
• Near-sightedness (myopia)
• Any injury to your eyes
• Secondary to other eye conditions (cataract, inflammations in the eye, tumours etc.}
• Long term medication (steroids/ cortisone).
• Those who use eye drops injudiciously, particularly ‘Pyrimon’ eye drops and other steroid eye drops, and repeat their prescription for red eye treatment with their chemists without consulting doctors. It is therefore, very important that youngsters who have contact lens-induced and other allergies, and those who repeatedly suffer from red eyes, to be very careful with their use of eye drops. They must visit the ophthalmologist urgently.

Diagnosis- Glaucoma is only detected by regular eye examinations with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

Treatment- The main treatment for glaucoma aims at reducing the pressure in your eye. Damage already caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. Eye drops, tablets, lasers and surgical operations are used to prevent or slow further damage from occurring. There are different types of glaucoma, but with any type, periodic examinations are very important to prevent loss of vision.

If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, the best treatment for you should be decided after a thorough examination and discussion with a glaucoma specialist.