GLAUCOMA: Glaucoma represents the most common cause of preventable visual disability and blindness in Ireland, according to a senior opthalmogist.
Eamonn O'Donoghue, ophthalmology consultant at University College Hospital, Galway, said that recent advances in medical therapy meant the illness could now be controlled in many people with the use of a single eye drop each night. The drops pose no risk to general health.
Early diagnosis is crucial as damage that has already taken place cannot be reversed. However, there was no trend of early diagnosis at the moment, he said. "Sadly, many Irish people with this silent, asymptomatic condition are still not picked up until late stages of the disease when, at best, medical or surgical therapy can only halt further decline."
Glaucoma is the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting around 67 million people worldwide and causing bilateral blindness in around 10 per cent of these.
There has been a sharp increase in the prevalence of the condition over the past 15 years - a trend that is likely to continue as the world's population grows older. It is imperative, therefore, that not only is glaucoma diagnosed earlier but that people are encouraged to get their eyes checked regularly in order to prevent the condition developing.
Anyone who has a relative with glaucoma should be screened every three to five years after the age of 40, and all people over 60 should be checked with similar frequency. In Europe, over half of those with glaucoma don't know they have the condition and are likely to present only once they have a relatively advanced stage of the disease.
The challenge lies in providing the resources to ensure that people at risk from glaucoma are seen and receive the right care.