Early treatment of glaucoma prevents blindness

Accra, Dec. 13, GNA - Dr James Clarke, an ophthalmologist on Wednesday said there was no cure for glaucoma but it could be controlled if detected and treated early to avoid blindness. He said damage done to the eyes by glaucoma was irreversible and called on Ghanaians to have their eyes checked because symptoms of the condition were rare.

Dr Clarke said in this when he delivered a thematic lecture on glaucoma at the launch of the 16th Glaucoma Awareness Week in Accra. The lecture, the first in a series, was christened "B.K Glymin Senior Glaucoma Lecture" in honour of the first President of the Association.

Glaucoma exist when the intra ocular pressure (IOP) pressure of the eye is raised over a period and causes damage to the optic nerve head with corresponding loss of visual function. Untreated, glaucoma gradually results in blindness because of the irreversible damage it causes. The ophthalmologist noted that because the eye was rigid it did not burst when it accumulated so much pressure but rather damaged the optic nerves and its blood supply.

Treatment of the condition, Dr Clarke said was done with medication, surgery or both to stop the damage from spreading. He said those above age 35, children with big eyes like that of a bull; tearing eyes; those who can't open their eyes in bright places and those who strained their eyes when viewing should have their eyes checked because they might be glaucoma suspects.

He noted that all were at risk and said diabetics; those with high blood pressure and those whose eye pressure exceeded 22 mmhg were at a higher risk.

He said being diagnosed with the condition didn't mean that one was automatically going to be blind but that treatment of the condition was for life just like many other diseases.

In a speech read for the Health Minister, Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), he said the Ministry was working tirelessly to waive taxes on drugs and equipment to alleviate the burden of the high cost of drugs. He commended the Glaucoma Association of Ghana for the awareness campaign, the early diagnosis to prevent the unnecessary blindness through its free screening exercises in selected communities and urged them to reach out to the rural communities as well.

These services among others, he said, fell in line with the Ministry's aim of providing quality healthcare to Ghanaians.

Mr Harrison Abutiate, President of the Association, said 161 million people were visually impaired worldwide, out of which 50 million had glaucoma; 37 million were totally blind and that 75 per cent of blindness were preventable.

In Ghana it is estimated that 200,000 Ghanaians were blind. Between 45 per cent and 50 per cent of blindness is from cataract; 15 per cent to 20 per cent due to glaucoma; five per cent from childhood blindness and 10per cent to 15 per cent from other eye disease, he said. He said the Association would among other things undertook research on the prevalence of glaucoma in the country and to provide data on it for decision makers to help them to arrive at a better prevention and treatment decisions. 13 Dec. 06