46 | December 2012 www.womanthismonth.com Showcase The Fight for Sight BAHRAIN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL Woman This Month sits down with an optical expert to learn more about a disease that is responsible for causing blindness. Often referred to as the “sneak thief of sight”, glaucoma is a disorder that arises due to high pressure in the eye. The disease has no symptoms and causes the eye’s fluid pressure to rise. If left untreated, vision can be permanently lost. “Up to 40 per cent of a person’s vision can be lost without their knowing. It is the second most common reason for blindness and is the major cause of irreversible visual loss,” says Dr Ali Anwar Abro, ophthalmologist at Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH). More than 67 million people in the world are affected and by the year 2020 it is estimated that there will be almost 80 million people with either open-angle or angle-closure glaucoma. While both forms can take a long period of time to develop, closed angle can occur suddenly and without warning. The disorder typically affects both eyes, but it can progress rapidly in one eye more than the other depending on the circumstance. Studies in the United States show as many as half of the individuals who suffer from the condition are unaware of it. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF), the condition can develop in anyone but certain groups are at a higher risk than others. For instance, a person is six times more likely to get affected if they are over 60 years old. Other associated factors are hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake. “Most types of glaucoma normally develop gradually, with no real symptoms to warn of their presence, a first noticeable sign of optic nerve damage is usually the loss of side (peripheral) vision,” says Dr Ali. There are two other major signs that can alert an eye doctor that a patient needs further assessment: elevated intraocular pressure and visual field loss. “Eyes should be tested regularly; every one to two years especially if a family member suffers from the same ailment, if you are of African heritage and you have had an eye injury in the past,” continues the doctor. Far sighted individuals are also advised to get regular screenings. The top of the line treatments offered at BSH range from medication, laser and surgery. Although nerve damage and visual loss from the disease cannot usually be reversed, it can generally be controlled. That is, treatment can make the eye pressure normal and therefore, prevent further nerve damage and visual loss. Call 17 812-000. Dr Ali Anwar Abro
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