Around the globe, ophthalmologists are supporting “World Glaucoma Week,” which runs March 12-18, to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of this chronic disease. Glaucoma develops without symptoms and is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Excessive eye pressure and inadequate blood supply cause long-term damage to the optic nerve. If inadequately treated, irreversible vision loss or blindness can result. In Switzerland, about 160,000 people are affected, worldwide more than 70 million. Half of them do not know about the disease.
The risk of developing glaucoma increases with age and is most common in people over the age of 40. Other risk factors include family history, elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and myopia. To relieve the optic nerve, the eye pressure must be lowered with medication. If this does not succeed, laser treatment or surgery becomes necessary. However, the procedure does not improve vision, but only serves to reduce pressure.
The insidious thing about glaucoma is that once damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed even with optimal therapy. Thus, early detection and progress monitoring are of central importance. It is important to look for glaucoma early, even before the first symptoms appear. Regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist should be performed from the age of 40.
The recommendations for regular ophthalmologic checkups:
- from 40 years every 3 years
- from 50 years every 2 years
- from 60 years every year
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