For your eyes only

Glaucoma, the third most common cause of blindness in India, has been rising at a rapid pace in the past few years, and young adults are the most affected. Glaucoma, in fact, has emerged as a major health issue in India, with health experts ringing the alarm bells and asking people to wake up to the problem. As reported in a front-page news item in its Sunday edition by this newspaper, reports of various independent studies have confirmed that glaucoma-related blindness continues to rise in India due to a to a lack of awareness and delay in detection. What is even more alarming is that in many cases, about 90 percent of the time in India, the disease goes undetected. Experts have, among other things, stated that glaucoma is akin to various other new lifestyle diseases. In the meantime, a section of ophthalmologists described it as “the silent thief,” which robs one’s eyesight. It is important to keep in mind that unlike other diseases that afflict the eye, glaucoma is asymptomatic until a late stage, and by that time, the loss of vision becomes practically irreversible. It is important to remember that in glaucoma patients, the pressure inside the eyeball rises to the extent that it can lead to damage to the optic nerve, which transmits visual information to the brain. Doctors say glaucoma typically presents with no symptoms in its early stages, making regular eye examinations crucial for early detection. However, as the condition progresses, one may experience blurred vision, difficulty adjusting to low light, reduced peripheral (side) vision, and seeing halos around lights. A few patients may even experience eye pain and headaches. Unfortunately, in India, while there is no mechanism in place for regular eye check-ups in government hospitals, even educated people do not consider it important to go for a routine eye check-up, even once a year. There is also a tendency among most people to ignore or neglect eye problems as minor things happening due to dust or smoke, and only when they start losing vision in advanced cases do they seek medical help. The problem begins there.