Hitansha Tagra: Allergan, a company of Abbvie which is constantly working towards raising awareness about diseases, recently highlighted the need for early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma . Glaucoma (black glaucoma) is the second leading cause of blindness globally after cataract . The blindness caused by this cannot be cured. It is estimated that it is the cause of blindness in 4.5 million people worldwide, while 1.2 million people out of about 12 million people suffering from glaucoma in India are already blind due to this disease.
Unfortunately, glaucoma goes undetected in more than 90 percent of cases. This has become a matter of concern for the country. If it is detected in the beginning, then the eyesight can be saved, otherwise there is no cure for it.
Currently, early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma is possible with medications, surgery or laser treatment to prevent further loss of vision or, if there has already been some damage to the vision, to stop it so that it and could not grow.
what is glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve (a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers that carry visual messages) of the eye. The condition gets worse with time and because of this often the pressure inside the eye starts increasing. The increased pressure in the eye, called intraocular pressure, can damage your optic nerve, which sends images to your brain. If the damage is severe, glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss or even complete blindness within a few years.
The World Health Organization (WHO) divides glaucoma into several categories, but the two most common are primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), which develops slowly over time, and angle-closure glaucoma (ACG), which is not common. and grows rapidly.
Recognize the early symptoms of this disease like this
In POAG, the increase in eye pressure is slow, so the damage is also gradual. Glaucoma is also known as the 'Silent Thief of Sight' because its early signs and symptoms are not visible and it keeps on progressing. Redness and pain in the eyes, aura-like appearance around lights at night can be some of the common asymptomatic signs. Therefore, for early detection of glaucoma, it is important that you get your eyes examined every year after the age of 40. A comprehensive eye examination includes tests of vision, examination of the optic nerve, measurement of eye pressure, and in case of suspicion, tests such as perimetry and OCT (optical coherence tomography).
Talking about the common causes of glaucoma, Dr Ramanjit Sihota, Head, Glaucoma Services, Shroff Eye Center, New Delhi said, “You may be at risk of glaucoma if you have a history of glaucoma in your family or if you have thyroid, high blood pressure etc. Suffers from pressure and other heart related problems. In addition to these, those who take steroid medications, those who have high eye power, or who have had eye injuries or surgery, should have their eyes checked regularly for early detection of the condition.”
He also emphasized that, “Although glaucoma is more common in adults, it can develop at any age. Childhood glaucoma, also commonly known as primary congenital glaucoma, occurs very rarely, but is responsible for about 4 percent – 8 percent of childhood blindness. An estimated 1 in 10,000 births is affected by primary congenital/infant glaucoma.
need to be treated on time
Highlighting the need for timely treatment, Dr. Rishi Jain, Medical Director, Allergan, said, “India is facing a lot of challenges in terms of eye care because of coverage and access to good services of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. There is no access. The lack of trained eye care service providers and the weak link in eye care services in the health system is a major reason for the growing concern of vision loss.”
He said, “People are not aware about glaucoma, so it cannot be treated on time. Its timely diagnosis and treatment can significantly reduce the chances of vision loss. At Abbvie Company Allergan, we strive to protect patients' vision by providing solutions that improve the lives of people living with glaucoma. We work closely with health care practitioners and the community to raise awareness of the condition and educate people about the condition. We are constantly researching new treatments so that we can give better treatment to its patients. We work closely with communities of skilled ophthalmologists. Our motto is to improve the lives of patients for which we are constantly striving.”
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