Sight lost needlessly

Jun 21 2009 Sunday Sun

GLAUCOMA is one of the most common causes of blindness worldwide yet many are unaware of its causes and symptoms. AJMAL SARWAR finds out more.

GLAUCOMA is a potentially blinding eye condition which, left untreated, can destroy eyesight permanently.

However, if the condition is caught at an early stage, treatment can minimise the damage to a person’s vision, which is why experts are aiming to raise awareness of the disease.

Newcastle optician John Davidson is one of those trying to increase people’s understanding of the condition. “Treatment for glaucoma is very effective – as long as the condition is caught in the early stages.

“There is no reason why people should lose their sight due to this disease, but they do.”

Glaucoma is caused when pressure inside the eyeball becomes too high. This results in damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye, which can lead to loss of vision.

There are no symptoms during the early stages of the disease, so it’s important for people to have their eyes tested regularly, as Mr Davidson explains. “Once the condition goes into an advanced stage, the final result can be severe impairment or even blindness.

“The eyes are the only place in the body a scan can see blood vessels without poking through the skin. As you look into the eye it is a window into general health.

“There are a large number of other health issues which can also be found through an eye examination, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Symptoms during the later stages of the disease include soreness in the eyes, headaches, misty vision and distorted vision.

Glaucoma mainly affects the middle aged and elderly, with the chances of suffering from the condition greatly increasing after the age of 40. However, the condition can also affect younger people.

There are two main types - open angle glaucoma, which occurs slowly, and angle closure glaucoma, which occurs much more rapidly.

There are also other types of the condition which can be caused for a variety of reasons, including inflammation of the eye and growth of new vessels within the eye, which may occur because of diabetes. Mr Davidson recommends that people over 40 have sight tests every two years to find out if their eyesight has deteriorated.

However, people who fall into risk factor groups should have the tests earlier:

People of African origin are four times more likely to develop open angle glaucoma and the condition tends to develop at an earlier age than in Caucasian populations, so regular testing is recommended from the age of 30.

Close blood relatives of people with primary open angle glaucoma have at least four times the risk of developing the condition themselves than those who do not have a family history. It is important for all close blood relatives of glaucoma patients to receive eye examinations annually starting at the age of 35.

There is also a general correlation between diabetes and glaucoma, but Mr Davidson says the statistics showing this may be misleading. “Because people with diabetes have regular eye tests as part of their treatment, it shows an artificially high level of glaucoma compared with other people.”

When going for a routine test, make sure to ask the optometrist to carry out all three glaucoma tests, which are ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and perimetry. These three tests together increase the chances of detecting glaucoma four-fold compared with ophthalmoscopy alone.

Mr Davidson says there are a variety of treatments available to patients, including eye drops, laser treatment, tablets and surgery, each one with its advantages and disadvantages.

He said: “Modern eyes drops and eye tablets are effective. In some cases some people need to carry out surgery to put eye pressure down. This involves a laser entering the eye and there are risks with this.”

For more information on glaucoma, visit www.glaucoma-association.com