Glaucoma is an insidious disease, and the stakes for ignoring it are high – vision loss. It usually develops slowly and asymptomatically, leading to irreversible damage to eyesight almost imperceptibly. It can be detected early and a tragic scenario can be avoided. By 2020, nearly 80 million people worldwide will suffer from glaucoma, of which as many as 11 million will lose their eyesight. According to the World Health Organization, this condition is the second cause of blindness in developed countries. In Poland, the problem concerns about 800 thousand. people.
On the occasion World Glaucoma Week from March 11-17 in selected ophthalmology offices across the country, without the required referral, you will be able to have your eyes examined for glaucoma free of charge. The list of facilities can be found on the website of the event organizer – the Polish Ophthalmology Society.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease, sometimes referred to as the “silent eye thief”, it develops insidiously and is the second most common (after cataract) cause of blindness in developed countries. It is produced in such a way that the aqueous fluid produced in the eye and necessary for its functioning leaves the eyeball and penetrates into the bloodstream at a place called the tearing angle. If outflow is blocked, intraocular pressure rises and there is pressure on the optic nerve. The pressure leads to the destruction of the nerve fibers and the atrophy of the optic nerve.
In most cases, this pressure increases slowly without any symptoms. only about 10 percent. may be violent symptoms and symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting and visual impairment.
– When a patient begins to notice that something is wrong with his eyesight, the disease is often in a very advanced stage. In Poland, as much as 70 percent. glaucoma cases are detected too lateto save vision, even with intensive treatment – says prof. Bożena Romanowska-Dixon, Head of the Clinical Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Oncology at the University Hospital in Krakow, Vice President of the Polish Ophthalmology Society.
Who is at risk of glaucoma?
– Anyone, regardless of age, can develop glaucoma – says prof. Jacek Szaflik, Head of the Department and Clinic of Ophthalmology, II Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, president-elect of the Polish Ophthalmology Society.
However, there are people who are particularly at risk of developing glaucoma:
- with increased intraocular pressure (normal is 16 mm / Hg – 21 mm / Hg
- myopia
- with hypertension
- with blood circulation disorders, e.g. very low blood pressure, which is manifested, among others, by cold hands and feet or headaches
- in a family with glaucoma
- with diabetes.
In Poland, the problem of glaucoma may affect 800 people, and only half of them have been diagnosed (mainly women). Only an early diagnosis of glaucoma can help save your eyesight – which is why regular examinations are so important. Everyone should undergo a full ophthalmological examination at least once a year, and people at risk of glaucoma – even every 6 months – are appealed by the Polish Ophthalmological Society.
How is sight tested for glaucoma?
The diagnosis or risk of glaucoma is most often associated with increased intraocular pressure and its measurement is necessary in the diagnosis of eye diseases. However, up to half of glaucoma patients have normal intraocular pressure. Therefore, measuring this parameter is not enough, it is also necessary that the ophthalmologist also examine the fundus of the eye and the thickness of the cornea. You can buy a package of diagnostic tests for glaucoma with an ophthalmological consultation without leaving your home at Medonet Market.