World Glaucoma Day 2024: India has a high incidence leading to blindness

Source: News9live
Author: Unnati Gusain

New Delhi: Glaucoma is a very serious disorder that has the potential to cause irreversible vision damage in millions of individuals due to a combination of factors including low community awareness, prescription costs, and compliance concerns. The condition is responsible for over 8 per cent of blindness globally and is the second most common cause of irreversible but preventable blindness worldwide.

Glaucoma is a condition of the eyes where the optic nerve, the nerve responsible for vision which connects the eye to the brain gets damaged. It usually results from a pressure buildup in the the eye which in turn results in optic nerve damage. If glaucoma is not identified and treated in a timely manner, it may result in blindness. Though it affects people of various ages, persons above the age of 50 years are the more at risk.

Dr Vidya Nair Chaudhry, Senior Consultant-Ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery, Aakash healthcare, New Delhi shared with News9 that India has a high incidence of glaucoma.

"Around 8.9 million people are blind and 11.9 million people suffer from glaucoma in India, whereas, glaucoma accounts for 12.8 per cent of cases of blindness. The key here is that this blindness is totally preventable if the disease is detected and treated timely," he said.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss that can negatively impact a patient's quality of life (QOL) and ability to conduct a wide range of everyday activities, including driving, walking, and reading.

"In early stages, it leads to peripheral vision loss (loss of field of vision), and later the central vision is also affected. 1-8 Individuals suffering with glaucoma may be more vulnerable to falls and car accidents, which are two of the main causes of injury-related deaths among the elderly," said Dr Chaudhry.

Increasing public awareness and placing a focus on thorough evaluations when patients see an ophthalmologist for a prescription adjustment or any other issue might aid in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. A timely referral or adequate care would go a long way to help the needy patients and prevent blindness due to glaucoma.