World Glaucoma Week

Sneak Thief of Sight

There's a good reason that glaucoma is known as the 'sneak thief of sight', says Vision Eye Institute ophthalmologist Dr Jason Cheng."

"The most common type of glaucoma develops very slowly over many months and years, causing irreversible sight loss without the person noticing. Vision loss often starts with your peripheral vision – in other words, around the edges of your vision. Without treatment, you will start to feel like you are looking down a tunnel," says Dr Cheng.

"Unfortunately, the condition is generally quite advanced by the time changes to your eyesight are obvious. In more serious cases, central vision will be affected, and some people may become totally blind. Thankfully, that's not something we see very often because of the treatments available such as eye drops, laser treatment and surgery. However, greater awareness and early detection is so important."

Incredibly, 300,000 Australians have glaucoma but up to half don't even know that they're affected and are slowly losing their eyesight.

"Glaucoma can affect anyone, but certain things make you more at risk. These include being over 40, a family history of glaucoma, having diabetes, high blood pressure, increased eye pressure, being extremely short-sighted, a history of steroid use (e.g. for asthma, joint disease, eczema) or previous eye trauma. If you fall into one of these categories, you'll need to have your eyes assessed yearly. For everyone else, the general recommendation is to have an eye check every two years, even if you don't have any concerns."

Dr Cheng explains that glaucoma actually refers to a group of conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain.

"Any damage to the optic nerve causes vision loss. Glaucoma typically results from a problem with the fluid drainage system within the eye. As fluid builds up, the pressure within the eye increases and this increased pressure damages the optic nerve. It's possible, although more unusual, for people to develop glaucoma if their eye pressure is normal. Much rarer are cases of acute angle closure glaucoma – usually accompanied by headache, pain, blurry vision and/or vomiting, these are true emergencies. Without medical intervention, significant or total visual impairment is a real possibility in these patients."

Dr Cheng stresses that looking after your general health is just as important as getting regular eye checks. "This means consuming a well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise and protecting your eyes from UV light with good-quality sunglasses. And if you notice anything unusual with your vision – even if you can't explain what it is – get your eyes checked sooner rather than later."

World Glaucoma Week is from March 11–17, 2018. This collaborative project between the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association contributes to the elimination of glaucoma blindness by alerting people to have regular eye checks, including optic nerve checks.