World Glaucoma Awareness Week 2015 From March 8 to 14

LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hydrebad, has lined-up a series of programmes to mark World Glaucoma Awareness Week 2015. The week long campaign is observed every year to intensify awareness about glaucoma from March 8 to 14. Introducing the campaign titled "Beat Invisible Glaucoma", Dr. Shirisha Senthil, Head of Glaucoma Service, LVPEI said that on Friday, "Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, continues to go undiagnosed because of lack of awareness."

Glaucoma has no visible symptoms, it can be diagnosed when a person gets checked by a ophthalmologist. Glaucoma can be noticed when a person experiences gradual decrease in their vision. When glaucoma is diagnosed, it is impossible to reverse the lost vision, but can retain whatever is remaining.

Doctors at LVPEI said, "Eye drops that contain steroids are useful to treat eye allergies, but excessive and indiscriminate use without a doctor's prescription can also cause glaucoma."

Dr. Shirisha Senthil clarified that, "People complain about losing eyesight at old age, but it is not because of old age but due to glaucoma that people lose sight."

According to doctors at LVPEI, ninety percent of glaucoma cases in the country are undetected, due to lack of awareness. There are 11.2 million Indians suffering from glaucoma of which 1.1 million are blind, including children.

The awareness programmes include, a walkathon from the Prasad Labs to Jubilee check-post on March 8,  ophthalmologists meet and a Patient Education Forum on March 12 at Kallam Anji Reddy Campus, Banjara Hills.

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Source-Medindia