Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness due to its dangerous nature and complex developments.
Glaucoma, also known as glaucoma or cataract, is a group of diseases in which the pressure in the eye increases beyond tolerance, causing optic disc depression, atrophy and irreversible damage to the visual field (field of vision of the eye). Many patients go blind in one eye due to glaucoma without knowing it, so the disease is called "the silent thief of vision".
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, after cataracts. It is estimated that there are currently about 80 million people in the world with glaucoma, and this number is expected to increase to 112 million by 2040.
In developed countries, about 50% of people with glaucoma do not know they have the disease and do not go to the doctor. In developing countries, this number can be as high as 90%. For example, a 67-year-old woman in Thai Binh went to the Hanoi High-Tech Eye Hospital (Hitec) for a check-up with glaucoma but did not know it.
A year ago, the patient felt a slight pain in her left eye, the pain spread to her head and around her eye. She went to the district hospital for examination and was treated for sinusitis with antibiotics and pain relievers. After a few days, she felt her eyes were uncomfortable and bought antibiotics to take again. Recently, her eyes were red and painful, and blurred like fog in front of her eyes. When she went to the hospital, she was diagnosed with conjunctivitis (pink eye), but treatment did not help.
Doctor Sanh (left) performs eye surgery on a patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital
Receiving the case, Master, Doctor Nguyen Van Sanh, Director of Hitec Hospital, examined and diagnosed both eyes with chronic angle-closure glaucoma. Although vision was not reduced much, the optic nerve and visual field were quite severely damaged.
"Many people with glaucoma will have severe pain in the eyes, pain spreading to half of the head and sudden loss of vision, causing the patient to go to the doctor and be detected early. However, this patient only had mild pain, spreading to the area around the eyes, and her vision did not decrease much, so she was not diagnosed and the disease progressed to become chronic," said Dr. Sanh, assessing this as a special case.
In this case, the patient needs immediate intervention. Specifically, the left eye is more severe and needs surgery, while the right eye also needs laser treatment to preserve the remaining visual function.
Primary glaucoma has two forms: angle closure and open angle. Angle closure glaucoma is more common in Asians aged 35 and over, due to the smaller eyeball structure than in Europeans. The older you are, the greater your risk of glaucoma; women are affected more than men, especially at menopause, the rate of the disease in women is 4 times higher than in men.
People with small eyeballs, severe farsightedness, small corneas, shallow anterior chambers, emotional sensitivity, and anxiety are at a higher risk of developing angle-closure glaucoma. If someone in the family has had an acute glaucoma attack, the rest of the family is at high risk. Raising awareness and conducting regular eye exams for relatives of the patient will help in early diagnosis and effective prevention.
Open-angle glaucoma is more common in white people, over 40 years old, and people with myopia. The older the age, the greater the risk. Blood relatives of the patient are 5-6 times more likely to develop the disease.
Primary angle closure glaucoma often starts suddenly in the evening, or when the patient is working in a bent position, or after psychological trauma. The patient feels severe eye pain, spreading to the same side of the head, seeing blue and red halos like a rainbow when looking at lights. The patient may feel nauseous or vomit, red eyes and blurred vision: it can be just a slight blur like looking through a fog but can also be severely reduced to counting fingers or seeing the shadow of a hand.
In contrast, primary open-angle glaucoma often appears silently, progressing slowly over a long period of time. Most patients do not feel eye pain, some cases feel slight eye strain or blurred vision as if through a fog and then go away on its own. These symptoms are often unclear so few people pay attention.
Doctor examines glaucoma patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital
Doctor Sanh recommends that even if there are no unusual signs, everyone should have regular eye check-ups to detect and treat glaucoma early, avoiding the risk of blindness. Specifically: before 40 years old: 2-4 years/1 time; from 40 to 60 years old: 2-3 years/1 time; after 60 years old: 1-2 years/1 time.
With angle-closure disease, even after it has been detected and operated on, patients still need to strictly follow a regular monitoring regimen: Eye examination, intraocular pressure measurement every 3 months for the first year, then every 6 months - 1 year.
For open-angle glaucoma patients treated with eye drops, even though the intraocular pressure has been adjusted, they still need to have regular check-ups and intraocular pressure checks: every 2 months, check the visual field and re-examine the fundus: every 3-6 months so that doctors can adjust the medication to help control intraocular pressure at a safe level.
In response to World Glaucoma Week, from March 12-17, the hospital offers free eye exams for patients and family members with a history of glaucoma.
Le Nga
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