- The biggest drawback of glaucoma is that it does not cause symptoms in its early stages.
- The ideal is to go to an annual ophthalmological review from the age of 35 for timely detection.
- Although the damage from this disease is permanent and irreversible, it can be stopped with medication and laser surgery.
Although all the senses are important, vision is one of the most appreciated because it allows you to see everything that happens around you. For the same reason, any failure considerably reduces the quality of life of a person. While of all the discomfort that can be generated in the eyes, there is one of great concern. Its about glaucomaa disease that when not treated early can lead to blindness.
To get an idea of its impact, the World Health Organization (WHO) points out that At least 60 million people on the planet suffer from glaucoma. While another fact to consider is that it is estimated that by 2040 the figure will increase by 45 percent.
National panorama today
It is estimated that in Mexico four percent of the population suffers from glaucoma. But the most alarming thing is that half of the patients are unaware that they have this disease due to the absence of symptoms, reported the person in charge of the Glaucoma Clinic of the General Hospital of Mexico (HGM) “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Sergio Herrero Herrera.
In the National Glaucoma Day commemorated on the first Saturday in June, the specialist said that this condition is one of the main causes of vision loss in the world, and ranks first in irreversible blindness. It is characterized by increased pressure in the eyeball that generates progressive damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision.
Glaucoma risk factors
He pointed out that among the risk factors are increased intraocular pressure, blow to the eye, use of medications such as steroids or cortisone, intraocular inflammation, cataracts and eye malformations from birth or that occur at different stages of life.
Herrero Herrera highlighted that 1,500 cases are diagnosed annually at the HGM Glaucoma Clinic.
types of glaucoma
Glaucoma can be open angle. It is the most common form of the disease and affects mainly men. Angle-closure occurs when the drainage angle in the eye is completely blocked, causing a rapid increase in eye pressure, called an acute attack.
To confirm the type of glaucoma, visual acuity and intraocular pressure are measured. In addition, the pupil is dilated to check the optic nerve. Cabinet studies and optical coherence tomography are performed on people with suspected disease to verify the shape and nerve fibers of the eye.
The manager of the Glaucoma Clinic assured that the treatment is based on topical medications that lower intraocular pressure and reduce the risk of visual field decrease. People with severe disease who are candidates undergo minimally invasive laser surgery, a microscopic procedure that could not be performed until 15 years ago.
The specialist recommended an annual ophthalmological review from the age of 35, especially those who have myopia or direct relatives with glaucoma, for timely detection, since the damage is permanent and irreversible; however, it can be stopped with medication and laser surgery.