It is World Glaucoma Week

Why do we care? Because Glaucoma is a preventable cause of blindness.

Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease which affects the nerve at the back of the eye- the optic nerve. The damage is usually caused by increased pressure in the eye.

Think of a candle which is burning: You don’t notice any difference in the flame as the candle burns down but when the light goes out- that is it- there is no more candle left.

It’s the same with glaucoma: you often don’t notice the subtle changes to vision- usually in the periphery or near the nose.  Left untreated, glaucoma can result in blindness. The risk increases 2-4 times if you have a family history and if you are over 50 years old. It is also more likely if you have Diabetes or are of Afro-Caribbean descent. Adults should start screening from age 35.

Basic screening like checking Vision, eye pressure, and looking at the disc is important. If we suspect you have Glaucoma from this screen, we refer for further testing of your Visual fields and light scanning of the optic nerve and corneal thickness.

Glaucoma is managed usually with life-long drops, and sometimes if needed, laser surgery.

For tips on how to put in your glaucoma drops see Dr Rajack’s you tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Z6jUqDd5U&t=8s