1 in 8 Indians at risk of developing irreversible blindness: Clinical expert

Every eighth person in India is at risk of developing glaucoma that causes irreversible blindness a health expert said here on WednesdayThe optic nerve plays a critical role in transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain and glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that can damage this nerveGlaucoma is a significant cause of irreversible blindness in India and everyone is susceptible to the disease Reena Choudhry a doctor at ICARE Eye Hospital said in a statementGlaucoma usually causes silent vision loss with some types being linked to mild eye pain headaches and rainbowcoloured circles around lights Choudhry COO and Medical Director HoD Glaucoma Department at ICARE saidRecent statistics by National Health Portal reveal that nearly 40 million individuals or every eighth person in India have glaucoma or are at risk of developing it Among individuals aged 40 and above approximately 112 million suffer from glaucoma with 11 million being visually impaired including childrenIn Asia glaucoma is projected to affect an additional 278 million individuals by 2040 with India and China bearing the brunt of the burden she saidWhile glaucoma can occur at any age it mainly affects people beyond the age of 40 years People who are high in shortsightedness diabetics have a history of eye trauma a family history of glaucoma or have been taking corticosteroid medicines for a long time are at a higher risk of developing the conditionEarly diagnosis of glaucoma can prevent its progression and routine eye checkups and mass screenings can facilitate its early detection and prevention Latestage diagnosis of the disease is treated with medication and surgery aimed at preventing further damage to vision and the visual field Choudhry saidThe American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye exam every five to 10 years if you are under 40 years old every two to four years if you are 40 to 54 years old every one to three years if you are 55 to 64 years old and every one to two years if you are older than 65 yearsBy following this guideline one can increase the chances of early diagnosis and prevention of glaucoma Choudhry saidAlso Read Herersquos why you need to take care of your eyes now more than everThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever