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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Rise in glaucoma worries doctors by Daulat Rahman

Rise in glaucoma worries doctors by Daulat Rahman

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published Published on Mar 3, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 3, 2011
Assam has witnessed an alarming rise in patients suffering from glaucoma, a disease that causes permanent blindness.

According to a conservative estimate, out of every 100 patients visiting the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) here, nearly 10 suffer from glaucoma. Of the visually impaired in Assam, 10 per cent are victims of glaucoma compared to 5 per cent five years ago.

RIO’s director C.K. Baruah told this correspondent that 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. He said cataract was still the leading cause of blindness in Assam but it was curable and unlike glaucoma, its signs and symptoms were very visible.

Baruah said contrary to belief, glaucoma was not limited to the elderly. This eye condition can appear in children and young adults as well. He said the rate of glaucoma in the age group 20 and 30 was a matter of concern and the flow of such patients to RIO was 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,” he added.

“There is no cure for glaucoma, but the disease can be treated either by medication or surgery. The disease can be managed by treatments such as lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP). Even though medications and eye drops are common remedies, they may become ineffective over time. In case the IOP cannot be managed by medications or eye drops, patients need to undergo surgery,” Baruah said.

He said there was an urgent need to carry out massive campaigns to create awareness about glaucoma.

A health department official admitted that there was a rise in the number of glaucoma patients and the government would intensify its campaign to create awareness about the disease. “We are now giving too much focus on cataract. The percentage of patients becoming blind due to cataract has gone down because of massive awareness campaigns and surgery camps,” he said.

The RIO was established in 1985 under the National Programme for Control of Blindness. It is a premier ophthalmic institute that caters to the needs of patients in Assam and other states of the region. Well-equipped and having quality ophthalmologists, it has been able to treat many glaucoma patients.

EYESIGHT CARE

• Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and occurs when the natural fluids of the eye are impeded from draining properly, causing intraocular pressure to build up

• Congenital glaucoma occurs when a child is born with defects that slow fluid drainage from the eye

• Symptoms or signs are often absent in the earliest stages of glaucoma

• In other instances, signs include frequent eye pain, clouded or halo vision, fast loss of eyesight, red eyes, headaches and nausea

• Routine eye examinations is the best way to detect the disease

• High-risk groups: People suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and those who smoke


The Telegraph, 3 March, 2011, http://telegraphindia.com/1110303/jsp/northeast/story_13658883.jsp


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