Glaucoma disease rises among youth in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Glaucoma, a disease that causes permanent blindness has started affecting children and youths in Assam.

An ophthalmologist at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital told The Sentinel that contrary to belief, glaucoma is no longer limited to the elderly. Such eye condition has now appeared in children and young adults as well. He said the rate of glaucoma in the age group 20 and 30 is a matter of concern and the flow of such patients to RIO is also increasing.

“Fast lifestyle is becoming a major risk factor for glaucoma and most of us tend to ignore this. Because of changing lifestyle, the number of people having high blood pressure, smoking habit and diabetes is increasing. These people are prone to develop glaucoma in the latter period of their lives. But people often do not find any correlation between blood pressure, smoking and diabetic with glaucoma,” the doctor said. On other hand ophthalmologists across the State are extremely worried that glaucoma which does not have prominent visible early signs and symptoms has become the second leading cause of blindness after cataract.

Out of every 100 patients visiting the RIO at GMCH and other government hospitals in the State, nearly 12 suffer from glaucoma. Of the visually impaired in Assam, 10 percent are victims of glaucoma compared to 5 percent five years ago.

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve of eye whose symptoms or signs are often absent in the earliest stages of the disease. Ophthalmologists suggest that one must undergoes eye check up if he has eye pain, clouded or halo vision, fast loss of eyesight and red eyes. People suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and those who smoke are in the high-risk group.

Dr. Subhra Kinkor Goswami, a seasoned ophthalmologist and an ace anterior segment surgeon said that even though many suffered from glaucoma in the State, more than half did not know they had the eye disorder. He said what was extremely worrying was that signs and symptoms of the disease were not very visible. Mostly, impaired vision is the first sign that a patient is suffering from glaucoma.

Goswami said cataract is still the leading cause of blindness in Assam but it is curable since signs and symptoms are very visible. But unlike cataract glaucoma does not have clear signs and symptoms, he said.

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