World Sight Day 2022

There is 3.5% risk of developing glaucoma in lifetime!

Glaucoma is the third-largest cause of blindness, after cataract and refractive errors and the topmost cause of irreversible blindness. Glaucoma can be difficult to diagnose as it ‘silently' steals one's vision.

There are no initial symptoms of glaucoma, and by the time they appear, the disease has already progressed.

Besides lack of awareness, genetic predisposition to glaucoma is a factor that often gets ignored. Much like diabetes or high blood pressure, glaucoma can run in families too.

Some warning signs and symptoms include:

• Headache, vomiting, and redness in the eyes

• Experiencing eye pressure and pain all time

A lot of glaucoma cases are not diagnosed in time due to poor attention to family history. In general, an average individual has a 3.5% risk of developing glaucoma in his or her lifetime.

But if your parent or sibling has glaucoma, your risk increases by 10 times. Other factors such as having pre-existing vision problems, hypertension, diabetes, use of steroids, and tobacco, and alcohol consumption can add to the risk of developing glaucoma very soon.

It is important that everyone with an identified familial risk goes for preventive eye screening and is monitored regularly.

Since it is a disease that mainly develops at old age, it is recommended that individuals over 40 years of age for a comprehensive eye screening every 1-1.5 years.

Those susceptible to vascular diseases or chronic disorders should be particularly alert.