In March, residents of the Lodzkie Voivodship aged 35 to 60 will be able to take advantage of free ophthalmic examinations conducted as part of the Early Glaucoma Detection program. The research is entirely financed by the voivodeship self-government.
Glaucoma is a chronic disease of the optic nerve – if left untreated, it leads to its atrophy and blindness. The most common cause is abnormally high pressure inside the eyeball. The disease develops quickly and usually asymptomatically.
There are about 800 in Poland. sick, of which only 10 percent. people know about their disease and heal. The rest unconsciously lose their eyesight. The risk of developing the disease increases with age – after fifty it is five to 10 times higher than before; at the age of 30-35, about 3,5 percent are sick. population.
The action financed from the voivodship budget is aimed at reducing the number of people losing their eyesight due to glaucoma by early detection of the disease and quick implementation of specialist treatment – Beata Sakowska from the Marshal’s Office in Łódź informed PAP.
Free ophthalmological examinations will be carried out in March in four facilities in the province: Szpital im. Primate of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in Sieradz, ZOZ PABIAN-MED in Pabianice, Provincial Hospital of them. Kopernika in Piotrków Trybunalski and in the Provincial Specialist Hospital. Pirogowa in Łódź.
People participating in the program will have a survey on the risk factors for glaucoma and the following tests: intraocular pressure, fundus and visual field with a computer perimeter.
In order to take advantage of the research, it is enough to sign up for an appointment at the selected facility by phone. A referral is not required – explained Sakowska. Everyone who undergoes the tests will receive recommendations for further treatment and possible treatment.
This year, the local government of the Łódź Voivodeship has allocated over 600. PLN to finance health programs for children, adolescents and adults in the region. Among them are, among others programs: Prevention of the development of amblyopia – early detection of visual impairment and strabismus in children, Caries prevention for school-age children, or the Prevention and Early Detection of Type 2 Diabetes (PAP) program