Dr Martin Chukwukaodinaka, an Ophthalmologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Tuesday advised Nigerians to go for regular eye check to prevent glaucoma and other eye defects.
Chukwukaodinaka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that most eye diseases could be prevented.
According to him, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage of the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain.
He said most types of glaucoma progressed without warning or obvious symptoms to the patient.
“Glaucoma is an eye condition that develops when too much fluid pressure builds up inside the eye.
“Eye screening is very important for early detection of glaucoma, the disease cannot be prevented, but if it is diagnosed and treated early, the disease can be controlled,’’ he said.
Chukwukaodinaka said that it was estimated that 4.5 million persons globally were blind due to glaucoma.
He said that due to silent progression of the disease at least in its early stages, about 50 per cent of those affected in the developed countries were not even aware of the disease.
The medical practitioner explained that the increased pressure which is also called Intraocular Pressure (IOP) could damage the optic nerve which transmits images to the brain.
He added that if the eye pressure continued due to the damage to the optic nerve, overtime glaucoma could cause loss of vision, stressing that the loss of vision could not be reversed.
“It was once believed that the cause of most or all glaucoma was high pressure within the eye which is known as Intraocular Pressure (IOP).
“It is now established that some people with normal IOP may still have glaucoma, therefore, the diagnosis of glaucoma is not just based on IOP alone, but other factors would be considered along,’’ he said.
He said age incidence of glaucoma was higher from the age of 40 and above.
The eye consultant said that glaucoma usually occurred in both eyes but that it could involve each eye to a different extent.
He said glaucoma had no early symptoms or pain from increased pressure, noting that prevention was very important through regular eye screening
He said the diseases could be diagnosed and managed before long-term visual loss, adding that in cases that were beyond the normal rage, medication could be administered to manage the condition.
Chukwukaodinaka said the risk factors associated with glaucoma could be inherited in the family which posed a greater chance of contracting the diseases.
He urged the public to take a preventive measure by engaging in regular eye screening as early diagnosis of glaucoma helped in managing the condition.