An increase in intraocular pressure in the eye is the underlying cause in the majority of cases but 30% of glaucoma cases may not have this pressure build-up.
If the eye pressure remains high for a long time, it damages the Optic Nerve and can lead to permanent and irreversible blindness.
50% of glaucoma cases go undiagnosed. There lies the importance of glaucoma awareness.
Glaucoma is the 2nd most common cause of vision loss worldwide, after cataract and causes Irreversible vision loss.
Hence the goal of Glaucoma Mx is early detection of the disease, awareness of factors like family history, Myopia, DM, HT, Trauma etc, regular screening, and timely intervention in improving QoL.
Unlike Cataract, blindness due to glaucoma is permanent and vision loss from glaucoma can be prevented if the disease is recognised in the early stages.
Did You Know?
More than 60 million people around the world are living with glaucoma, which is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Glaucoma currently accounts for 12% of all cases of total blindness globally.
As much as 40% of vision can be lost without patients noticing, so early diagnosis and proper treatment of glaucoma are essential to delay disease progression.
What does Glaucoma look like?
1. Open-angle glaucoma
- Initial Damage to Optic Nerve: Patients may not even notice lost vision. Patients may also experience vision loss on the sides, or periphery, or no Symptoms at all.
- Vision Loss: As damage to the optic nerve progresses, patients experience noticeable vision loss possibly in the form of tunnel Vision.
- Vision Loss Continues: Patients may experience continued vision loss and eye spots.
2. Angle-closure glaucoma
Patents may experience headaches, eye pain, nausea, blurred vision, and halos around lights at night.
If patients experience these Symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately.
