Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Some patients in the city found suffering from Glaucoma' that was published in Newsband

Some patients in the city found suffering from Glaucoma

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Glaucoma incident in Navi Mumbai is on the rise. This became evident during the routine tests carried out at an eye hospital in Navi Mumbai.

Out of the total patients who underwent check up, it was found that 5 percent were suffering from glaucoma. Now this is a cause for worry because Glaucoma has emerged to be one the biggest reasons behind blindness globally.

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged in a characteristic pattern. This can permanently damage vision in the affected eye(s) and lead to blindness if left untreated. It is normally associated with increased fluid pressure in the eye (aqueous humour).

However, some may have high eye pressure for years and never develop damage, while others can develop nerve damage at a relatively low pressure. Untreated glaucoma can lead to permanent damage of the optic nerve and resultant visual field loss, which over time can progress to blindness.

Glaucoma can be roughly divided into two main categories, "open-angle" and "closed-angle" (or "angle closure") glaucoma. The angle refers to the area between the iris and cornea, through which fluid must flow to escape via the trabecular meshwork. Closed-angle glaucoma can appear suddenly and is often painful; visual loss can progress quickly, but the discomfort often leads patients to seek medical attention before permanent damage occurs. Open-angle, chronic glaucoma tends to progress at a slower rate and patients may not notice they have lost vision until the disease has progressed significantly.

Glaucoma has been called the "silent thief of sight" because the loss of vision often occurs gradually over a long period of time, and symptoms only occur when the disease is quite advanced. Once lost, vision cannot normally be recovered, so treatment is aimed at preventing further loss.

Worldwide, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness after cataracts.

If the condition is detected early enough, it is possible to arrest the development or slow the progression with medical and surgical means.