Glaucoma Explained: Why Doctors Call It the Silent Thief of Sight

More than 16 million people in India are affected by glaucoma, and over 90 per cent remain undiagnosed and unaware of the condition due to low awareness. According to doctors, this debilitating condition, which is an irreversible vision loss, contributes significantly to permanent blindness. Known as the silent thief of sight, glaucoma mostly starts asymptomatic, and by the time the condition gets noticed, the vision loss becomes irreversible. And that is why regular eye exams are so crucial, even if you do not suspect a problem. "As an ophthalmologist, glaucoma worries me most because it steals vision without a warning. This condition typically causes no pain or any other symptoms until substantial vision loss that cannot be reversed. Glaucoma

is called the 'silent thief of sight' for this reason,” Dr Dinshaw Dastoor, Consultant Ophthalmology at Holy Family Hospital, told Times Now. “I often tell patients that vision affects them; the damage cannot be undone by then, only prevented from worsening,” he added.

What happens in glaucoma?

According to doctors, glaucoma – an umbrella term for eye diseases that make pressure build up inside your eyeball- can damage delicate and critical parts at the back of your eye. Most of the disease is progressive, which means it gradually gets worse. As it does, the condition eventually causes permanent vision loss and blindness. It is mostly caused by damage to your optic nerve, which can occur without any cause, but many factors affect the condition. The most important of these risk factors is intraocular eye pressure. Your eyes produce a fluid known as aqueous humour that nourishes them. This liquid flows through your pupil to the front of your eye. With glaucoma, the resistance increases in your drainage canals. The fluid has nowhere to go, so it builds up in your eye. This excess fluid puts pressure on your eye. Eventually, this elevated eye pressure can damage your optic nerve and lead to glaucoma.

Signs and symptoms of glaucoma

In the early stages, there are no symptoms, and that is why most people with glaucoma may not know they have it. Most symptoms do not appear until the condition leads to irreversible damage. A few common glaucoma symptoms are:

• Eye pain and pressure
• Headaches
• Red bloodshot eyes
• Double and blurred vision
• Gradually developing blind spots
• Blood gathering in front of your iris
• Bulging or enlarged eyeballs
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rainbow-coloured halos around lights
• Sudden appearance or increase in floaters

According to experts, it is important to undergo regular eye tests, especially if you are over 40 years of age. “You are at a higher risk of eye disease if you have a family history of glaucoma or diabetes or if you have taken long-term steroid medicines,” Dr Dinshaw added.

Risk factors for glaucoma

The risk factors for glaucoma include:

Age

Most types of glaucoma affect people aged 40 and older

Race

Black and brown people have a much higher risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma.

Sex

Women have a higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma. Experts suspect this is mainly because of sex-linked differences in eye anatomy.

Refractive errors

Those with nearsightedness have a higher risk of open-angle glaucoma.

Family history

Chronic conditions Research links some conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes, to a higher odds of developing glaucoma.