Marking World Glaucoma Week

GLAUCOMA is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and affects a total of 60 million people in the world.

In Spain, it affects around a million people but it is believed around 500,000 suffer unknowingly, making it known as the silent disease.

Glaucoma is an eye disease whose main characteristic is the loss of vision due to progressive damage that occurs to the optic nerve. 

The main risk factor is ocular hypertension. If the pressure within the eyeball increases, the optic nerve is compressed and neurons that form are damaged, causing cell death of these and decreasing the field of view patient.

“The earlier the diagnosis the better and the sooner you can put the brakes on the disease,” said president of the Association of Glaucoma for patients and their families (AGAF), Delfina Balonga. 

It is recommended you have eye tests every two years from the age of 40 and annually after the age of 50. 

“The big problem of glaucoma is that if not detected early can cause serious vision problems and in 5 per cent of cases, total blindness.”

To mark World Glaucoma Week, it is recommended that you have eye tests every two years from the age of 40 and annually after the age of 50. 

It can appear at any time of life, but it is more common after the age of 60 and there are several risk factors such as diabetes, family history, high myopia and high blood pressure.