India Lodges the World’s Largest Number of Glaucoma Patients

India may house the world’s largest number of glaucoma patients with 12 million affected populations and over 90% undiagnosed ones.

Glaucoma – with no recognized measures to prevent it, is taking a poll in India. “India can easily be the world’s capital of glaucoma, a group of eye disorders that leads to irreversible blindness, with the disease affecting 12 million people, and remaining undiagnosed in over 90% of the cases. The increasing population of senior citizens, diabetics, and people with refractive errors, the known potential risk factors, are set to make glaucoma a rapidly emerging non-communicable ocular disease in the country, which already houses 20% of the world’s blind,” says Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, India’s largest chain of eye hospitals.

Vision forms the prime source of the window to appreciate the outer world. Progression of irreversible blindness that results from glaucoma could only be halted if early diagnosis and treatment are done.

Glaucoma - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Glaucoma is a group of disorders involving the optic nerve, often associated with a rise in intraocular pressure. Uncontrolled glaucoma can lead to blindness.

‘India may hold the world’s largest number of glaucoma patients with 12 million affected populations and over 90% undiagnosed ones. As there are no early signs of glaucoma, the only way to catch glaucoma is to have regular eye check-ups that aids in early detection and treatment. Intending to eliminate irreversible blindness from glaucoma, the World Glaucoma Week 2021 theme is “The world is bright, save your sight!” ’

To create awareness on such a silent thief of sight, a devastating disease, the World Glaucoma Week is observed annually (this year March 7-13, 2021).

It is estimated that 40 million people in India, including 1.6 million children, suffer from blindness or visual impairment. Glaucoma – an under-diagnosed and under-treated disease, is the third leading cause of blindness in India next to cataracts, and untreated refractive errors.

Glaucoma occurs as a result of increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). This pressure is regulated by the rate of production of aqueous humor, the clear liquid inside the front part of the eyes, which matches the rate of its drainage.

Cataract - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
A cataract is cloudiness in the crystalline lens of the eye that results in a gradually progressive painless diminution of vision.

However, blockage of the channels that carry the fluid, may result in raised intraocular pressure. This causes damages to the optic nerve (responsible for conveying visual messages to the brain).

Glaucoma can strike its onset at any age with a 2.3% lifetime risk of glaucoma among any given population. But the risk increases among those over 40 years of age, a family history of glaucoma, diabetics, pre-existing refractive errors, on steroid medications /eye drops/pills/inhalers, and skin creams.

Eye Pain - Symptom Evaluation
Eye pain usually follows trauma, eye infection or inflammation of the eye and the surrounding structures. The cause of eye pain can be diagnosed based on the type of pain and associated symptoms.

Early Detection Prevents Permanent Blindness

Since intraocular pressure is the only modifiable factor in glaucoma, treatment modalities revolve around normalization of this pressure that involves medical management (eye drops, tablets), laser therapy (aimed at the opening of blocked channels), and surgical (aimed at the creation of new channels for draining the fluids inside the eye).

As there are no early signs of glaucoma, the only way to catch glaucoma is early detection and treatment that will prevent permanent vision loss. Also prompt attention from the patients and contribution from the primary care physicians for prompt referrals to the ophthalmologist is mandatory to break the trend of glaucoma.

Intending to eliminate glaucoma blindness, the World Glaucoma Week 2021 themes “The world is bright, save your sight!” to motivate the people to have regular eye check-ups, including optic nerve examination. This helps prevent blindness thereby aids in continuing to see the world around us: full of beauty, charm, and adventure.

Source-Medindia