KAMLOOPS — It’s one of the leading causes of blindness, and as it stands, there is no cure.
Glaucoma affects 400-thousand people in Canada every year.
March 12th to 18th is ‘World Glaucoma Week’ and information sessions and forums are being held in countries around the world to spread the importance of early detection.
The ‘puff test’ remains optometrists including Dr.Russell Ebata’s best way of detecting glaucoma in patients.
“Glaucoma is basically a group of disease that affects the optic nerve which is the connection from the eye to the brain,” said Dr.Ebata with Ebata Eyecare Optometry. “It’s essentially the spinal cord that sends all the information your eye is seeing to the back of the brain.”
By blasting a puff of air into patients eyes, doctors are able to measure the eyes pressure.
The greater the pressure, the greater the chance the eye’s optic nerve is being tampered, increasing the chances of partial or total blindless down the road.
The scary thing with glaucoma is initially there aren’t any symptoms.
“It doesn’t hurt, you can’t see it, it doesn’t make your eyes turn red,” said Ebata.
While eye disorders run in Jeff Hamledon’s extended family, his cousin going blind at the age of 30, it wasn’t until a few years ago that signs of glaucoma was defected in the avid tennis players left eye.
“I don’t really think I had known much about it,” said Hambledon. “I know it can be a serious conditions. We’re going to keep an eye on it.”
While those with a family history of the eye disease are more likely to have it themselves, Dr.Ebata says the reality is any one can fall victim.
With most glaucoma sufferers having to take eye drops the rest of their life, the importance of regular eye exams something Dr.Ebata can’t stress enough.
“Technology has come a long way in picking up glaucoma,” added Ebata. “For adults 65 years or older we recommend annual exams, anybody 19 to 65 years old we recommend every couple of years.”
While Hambledon may be in the clear for now, the retiree says his brush with glaucoma has opened his eyes, and hopefully others.
