Coimbatore: To raise awareness in society, a glaucoma awareness rally was organised by the Coimbatore society of ophthalmic surgeons, Indian Medical Association, and Glaucoma Society of India. Nursing student volunteers from various city colleges joined the rally.
Coimbatore Society of Ophthalmic surgeons president Dr Davdutt Thomas said, “Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness after cataract, is irreversible, but preventable. Since there are no obvious symptoms reported in the early stages, glaucoma is often referred to as the ‘silent thief of sight’.”
People at risk are those with advancing age of 40 and above, elderly patients over 70 years with low blood pressure, diabetes, patients with family history of glaucoma, high shortsightedness, migraine, diabetes, thyroid disease, chronic long term use of steroid for asthma, arthritis, skin disorders, history of blunt eye injury in the past and post cataract surgery. Early diagnosis of glaucoma in every patient coming for a routine eye check up in the age group 35 and above should undergo recording of intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination of the internal structures of the eye and optic disc evaluation. Suspicious glaucomatous changes should alert the ophthalmologist to perform further important diagnostic test like visual field testing, informed the doctors. More than 75 doctors from various hospitals participated in the rally.
