Many people are adopting better approaches to wellness and exercise and are becoming more conscious of what’s in their food, beauty, and household items. However, they could neglect to look out for dangers to their vision.
Regardless of your current vision, regular trips to the eye doctor are an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Eye physicians can help identify chronic conditions like glaucoma. Additionally, routine eye exams for children assist ensure the appropriate vision development needed for day-to-day life.
More than about 11.2 million Indians aged 40 or older suffer from glaucoma, and the worrying aspect is that without treatment, they run the risk of losing their sight. With a stunning 90% of cases of undetected glaucoma, compared to between 40% and 60% in the industrialized world, India has a huge problem.
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What is meant by glaucoma?
When we talk about glaucoma, we mean “a set of eye diseases causing optic nerve damage.” Glaucoma is caused by high intraocular pressure, which harms the optic nerve’s delicate nerve fibers. Blind spots are created as a result, and they are persistent. Glaucoma will worsen if untreated and eventually result in total blindness. Once detected, reach out to a glaucoma treatment in Coimbatore to avoid permanent damage.
What’s tragic about this disease is that many people don’t notice glaucoma-related vision problems until some permanent vision damage has already occurred. The key to preventing loss of vision from glaucoma is early detection and seeking treatment by your ophthalmologist.
Extremely little is known about glaucoma in the urban and rural areas. Since only the peripheral vision is damaged in the early stages of the illness, the patient might not recognise any changes because their core vision is unaffected. As a result, people can put off getting checked until the disease progresses.
How do eye checkups help detect glaucomas?
Glaucoma frequently manifests slowly, so you might not immediately experience any symptoms. Additionally, several types of glaucoma present with no symptoms at all. But a dilated eye exam, a screening done in-office, allows eye care specialists to spot minor changes to the eye. Your doctor will use eye drops to dilate your pupils throughout this process. Because of the improved visibility of the retina and optic nerve, as well as other interior structures of the eye, glaucoma can potentially be identified earlier and before symptoms appear.
Since what is normal for an individual may not be normal for another, glaucoma cannot be diagnosed only by measuring eye pressure. Because of this, only a thorough vision examination coupled with a dilated eye exam can reliably identify glaucoma.
What are the risk factors for glaucoma?
- Thin corneas
- Family history of glaucoma
- Previous eye injuries
- Diseases like diabetes
What is the importance of routine check up for glaucoma?
Regular eye exams are one of the most effective strategies to identify and treat glaucoma. Eye pressure is typically measured, the optic nerve is examined, the drainage angle of the eye is measured, and the visual fields of both eyes are tested.
An ophthalmologist can identify specific changes in the eye that may indicate the onset of early-stage glaucoma with the aid of an eye exam. Regular eye exams can also aid in the early identification of underlying conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Getting an eye exam is as crucial for those who wear glasses but complain of ongoing discomfort. The prevalence of eye strain and other eye issues highlights the significance of routine eye checkups. Awareness of glaucoma is crucial for the prevention, early detection, and management of the illness in a country like India where 70% of the population lives in rural regions.
How is glaucoma condition treated after detection?
After undergoing a glaucoma test, there are numerous ways to control the condition and slow its progression. Depending on the kind and stage of glaucoma, treatment options include eye drops, medications, laser procedures, and surgeries. To reduce the target ocular pressure, these therapies can be combined and modified over time.
Medications:
The development of various efficient eye drops that can be used in conjunction with pills during the day is a result of the advancement of medicine. They essentially lower the intraocular pressure which is a major reason for glaucoma, by reducing the eye’s fluid production or increasing the flow leaving the drainage angle. The most popular and frequently used method of treating glaucoma is medication.
Laser surgery:
In cases where medication alone is not providing efficient results a laser surgery may also be recommended. Trabeculoplasty is a medical procedure that drains the fluid and reduces the pressure.
What are the best health tips to keep the eyes healthy?
The best lifestyle habits that keep the eyes healthy is to minimize the screen time and healthy diet can help,
- Keep an eye on your screen time, in case your eyes feel strained take an immediate break.
- Ensure to take off your eye makeup before hitting the bed.
- Eating healthy foods like leafy vegetables, fish, and nuts are healthy for eye health.
- Protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays and other harmful rays by wearing sunglasses.
- In case you have continuous irritation in the eyes, seek help immediately.
Important Takeaway:
While routine eye checkups are undoubtedly the best strategy to reduce the burden of eyes with glaucoma, public awareness and education are the keys to raise awareness of the disease. A key step in the early detection of glaucoma may be eye health education that encourages patients to participate in routine ophthalmologic treatment. Visit an eye hospital in Coimbatore to get your eyes checked regularly.