Eye Awareness Week: Glaucoma - a devastating disease

Estimates put the total number of suspected cases of glaucoma at around 65 million worldwide

Currently 6.7 million people worldwide are blind from open and closed angle glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive, degenerative group of eye diseases that gradually causes blindness without warning. It is a devastating condition, which is considered to affect 4% of the South African population over 40 years, so 40 000 people out of every 1 million over 40 years are affected. It is a disease that receives very little attention and the South African population are largely ignorant thereof. With the approach of Eye Care Awareness Week, 9 – 13 October 2007, leading eye care company, Alcon Laboratories shares the facts on Glaucoma.

Experts estimate that half of the people affected by glaucoma may not even know they have it. This estimation is for a first world country like the USA and may be as high as 80% in developing countries. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires. It is responsible for carrying images to the brain.

The two main types of glaucoma are primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), and angle closure glaucoma. These are marked by an increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye. When optic nerve damage has occurred despite a normal IOP, this is called low tension glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma also refers to any case in which another disease causes or contributes to increased eye pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and vision loss.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness if it is left untreated. According to the World Health Organisation, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world and is more prevalent in Black patients. Other high-risk groups include; people over 60, family members of those already diagnosed, diabetics and people who are severely nearsighted.

There is no cure for glaucoma – yet, and vision lost cannot be regained. Early detection and diagnosis may result in the condition being medicated or surgically operated on, which may halt further loss of vision. Unfortunately approximately 10% of people with glaucoma who receive proper treatment still experience loss of vision. Glaucoma is a chronic condition and must be monitored for life.

Everyone is at risk, from babies to senior citizens. Older people are at a higher risk, but babies can be born with glaucoma (approximately 1 out of every 10 000 babies born in the US are affected) .Young adults can get glaucoma too. In South Africa, glaucoma is far more prevalent in the black community.

Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief of sight,” because most types typically cause no pain and produce no symptoms. For this reason, glaucoma often progresses undetected until the optic nerve has already been irreversibly damaged, with varying degrees of permanent vision loss.

With acute, angle-closure glaucoma, symptoms that occur suddenly can include blurry vision, halos around lights, intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting.

A survey done for the American Glaucoma Research Foundation found that;

- 74% of over 1 000 people interviewed said they have their eyes examined at least every two years and still only 50% of people with glaucoma are diagnosed. There is therefore a need for more comprehensive and focused examination for glaucoma including objective structural tests like disc photography, nerve fibre analysis and disc measurements. A patient visiting his eye care professional should ask about the appearance of their optic nerve.

- Blindness ranked third (after cancer and heart disease) as people's major fear.

“It is vitally important that South Africans are aware of the prevalence of glaucoma and the devastating effect it has on vision. We encourage every South African to visit their ophthalmologist or optometrist (one specially trained in glaucoma detection) every 2 to 4 years after the age of 40, and every 1-2 yrs after the age of 55. If there are any risk factors for developing glaucoma (such as blood relatives with glaucoma, short-sightedness, diabetes and Black ancestry) then anyone 35 and older should have a thorough glaucoma check every 1 -2 years. Early detection means that the effects of glaucoma may be halted through prescribed medication, laser or, in more severe or uncontrollable cases, surgery,” says Prof Grant McLaren of St Johns Eye Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath.

Alcon Laboratories

Alcon Laboratories is a leading eye care company that has been operational in South Africa since 1977 with their head office located in Johannesburg. Alcon is committed to ongoing Research and Development and to educating the market on various eye care diseases and providing treatment options.

Issued on behalf of Alcon Laboratories by Leigh Hopewell at The Write Agency