Glaucoma – The Myths and the Facts

Posted On: October 6, 2016

Looking at a few misconceptions related to Glaucoma – The Vision Blinder

A glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that lead to optic nerve damage and irreversible loss of vision. Many individuals fall prey to certain myths surrounding glaucoma. Let us look at these myths, and then look at the facts.

One myth is that individuals with good vision not requiring the use of glasses will not suffer from glaucoma. However, the fact is that even individuals with good vision can suffer from glaucoma. In fact, most forms of glaucoma come with no symptoms and lead to no change in vision until the later stages of the condition. Often patients are surprised when they are diagnosed with glaucoma, because of the lack of symptoms. While the initial stages of glaucoma may not lead to change in vision, the later stages can lead to loss of vision due to irreversible damage to the optic nerve. It is for this reason that it is important to approach a reputed eye hospital for the early detection and treatment of glaucoma before it leads to loss of vision.

Another myth is that glaucoma only affects elderly individuals. However, the fact is that glaucoma can affect individuals of all ages and not just the elderly. But yes, it is true that the chances of glaucoma increase with age, with a huge portion of open-angle glaucoma cases being age-related. But that doesn’t mean glaucoma spares younger individuals – in fact, glaucoma can occur even in newborns! Yet another myth is that no treatment is required for glaucoma in the absence of symptoms, especially because there is no cure for the disease. But the fact is that one has to be treated for glaucoma, otherwise there will be the loss of vision.

The absence of symptoms is not a reason to not seek treatment as most forms of glaucoma may not show symptoms. One should approach a reputed eye hospital so as to undergo treatment like lasers, medications, glaucoma surgery etc so as to slow the advancement of the disease as much as possible. While it is true that treatment of glaucoma may come with side effects, dedicated and experienced professionals, like those at Shalby Hospital in Ahmedabad, will see to it that the side effects are minimized while delaying the advancement of the disease as much as possible.

One more myth is that glaucoma is only a hereditary condition and will only occur to you if one or more of your family members suffer from it. The fact is that glaucoma also affects individuals with no family history of the disease. A family history of glaucoma is definitely a risk factor, and there are certain types of glaucoma which are hereditary in nature, but that doesn’t mean that someone without a family history of glaucoma will not suffer from it. One may even have a family history of glaucoma without realizing it, due to all family members not being examined. If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, you should ask your family members to get examined as well, especially since most cases of the disease are symptomless.

In short, do not fall prey to myths surrounding glaucoma, but get yourself examined by experienced professionals at reputed hospitals like Shalby Hospital – one of the best Glaucoma Departments of India, where patients of all ages undergo treatment for glaucoma, successfully.

Summary

Many individuals fall prey to certain myths surrounding glaucoma. One myth is that individuals with good vision not requiring the use of glasses will not suffer from glaucoma. Another myth is that glaucoma only affects elderly individuals. Yet another myth is that no treatment is required for glaucoma in the absence of symptoms, especially because there is no cure for the disease. But the fact is that one should undergo treatment for glaucoma even though there is no cure, so as to delay the advancement of the disease. One more myth is that glaucoma is only a hereditary condition and will only occur to you if one or more of your family members suffer from it. The fact is that glaucoma also affects individuals with no family history of the disease.

Dr. Binita Thakore

Consultant- Glaucoma

Shalby Hospitals, Ahmedabad

Contact: 079-40203144 / +91 98240 99953