Doctors call glaucoma the ‘silent thief of sight’: Here's how to stop it and save your eyes from permanent blindness
Glaucoma is a vision problem that begins without pain and ends in blindness. Don’t wait for symptoms and check out these tips to catch it before it’s too late.
Glaucoma is an eye condition that may lead to irreversible vision loss if not detected and treated early. Damage to the optic nerve (the connection between brain and eye) fibres, mostly due to high pressure in the eyes leads to permanent blindness in Glaucoma.
[Also read: Your eyes might be dying in silence: 6 ways to spot it before it’s too late]
What are symptoms of Glaucoma?
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Payal Gupta, Consultant Ophthalmology at Fortis Hospital in Greater Noida, answered, “Galucoma is often referred to as ‘the silent thief of sight’ because it asymptomatic (no symptoms) in early stages. In few cases it may be associated with headaches, blurring of vision, eye pain with redness and coloured halos.”
In other words, glaucoma in early stages is mostly asymptomatic and by the time it is diagnosed, it is late. Changes in the visual field are perceived only after forty percent of the damage has already occurred. Dr Payal Gupta said, “Since damage to the retinal and optic nerve fibres due to glaucoma is irreversible, no treatment cannot bring back the already lost vision.”
What can be done?
{{/usCountry}}In other words, glaucoma in early stages is mostly asymptomatic and by the time it is diagnosed, it is late. Changes in the visual field are perceived only after forty percent of the damage has already occurred. Dr Payal Gupta said, “Since damage to the retinal and optic nerve fibres due to glaucoma is irreversible, no treatment cannot bring back the already lost vision.”
What can be done?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Payal Gupta asserted, “Early detection is the key to prevention of blindness due to Glaucoma. Almost all the treatment modalities in glaucoma aim to slow down the progression of damage, and none can reverse the visual field loss that has already occurred. Therefore earlier it is diagnosed, easier it is to halt progression and prevent loss of vision.”
What is screening for Glaucoma?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Payal Gupta asserted, “Early detection is the key to prevention of blindness due to Glaucoma. Almost all the treatment modalities in glaucoma aim to slow down the progression of damage, and none can reverse the visual field loss that has already occurred. Therefore earlier it is diagnosed, easier it is to halt progression and prevent loss of vision.”
What is screening for Glaucoma?
{{/usCountry}}Dr Payal Gupta shared, “Screening is done in apparently healthy individuals with no symptoms. Glaucoma screening includes measurement of eye pressure, clinical examination of the eye and optic nerve, imaging of nerve fibre layer and visual field analysis. These are all non-invasive eye tests and require no blood samples or radiation exposure.”
So anyone above 40 years of age, even though they are asymptomatic, or someone who has a family history of glaucoma should undergo a screening for early detection of Glaucoma with an ophthalmologist.
What is the treatment of Glaucoma?
Dr Payal Gupta revealed, “Treatment is initially prescription eye drops. Few cases may require laser treatment. In case these fail, surgery is done as a last resort treatment modality.”
Glaucoma is a serious eye condition and with routine eye examination you can catch the disease early. It left untreated it can lead to blindness.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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