GLAUCOMA-The Silent Vision Stealer of the Middle-aged & Elderly: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Care -Contributed by Dr B Revathi MBBS, DNB (Ophthal)
Photograph by Paula Neumeyer from Pexels What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) is high. This raised pressure causes damage to the optic nerve which is responsible for carrying the visual sensations to the brain. The field of vision (both central and side vision) is gradually lost corresponding to the extent of optic nerve damage. According to the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) , Glaucoma accounts for 20% of blindness worldwide. The overall presence of Glaucoma in India is said to be 3.9% in all age groups and 4.4% in adults over 35 years. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in India next to cataract and corneal blindness According to the Mayo Clinic , “ Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It affects more than 2.7 million individuals age 40 or older in the United States — approximately 1.9 percen