The First Think Patients Ask When they Know They Have Glaucoma

Unlike any other eye disease, Glaucoma usually causes no pain, discomfort, or distress. Patients see well and their central vision remains excellent until the very last stages of the disease. Patients are often confused when they know they have Glaucoma and are initially reluctant to believe their vision is at risk. The first question they ask is whether Glaucoma will make them blind. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts. About 80 million people have glaucoma worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to over 111 million by 2040. More than three million Americans, aged 40 and older are living with Glaucoma. Open-angle Glaucoma is the most common form of Glaucoma (affects 2.7 million in the US). 3.3 million Americans Glaucoma patients are affected by blindness or low vision.

The worldwide overall prevalence of Primary Open-angle Glaucoma (POAG) is 2.4% with an estimated global population of POAG of 68.56 million. Compared to the primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), the POAG is of high prevalence. The global pooled prevalence of PACG is 0.6%. The prevalence of PACG increases with age. Men are less likely to have PACG than women. Asia has the highest prevalence of PACG. The current worldwide estimated population of older than 40 people with PACG is 17.14 million, with 12.30 million in Asia. The population-based prevalence of both POAG and PACG varies widely across individual studies, due to variations in risk factors of age, gender, and population geographic location.

After reading all that has been written in the literature about the high prevalence of Glaucoma, it is important to explain to patients that glaucoma does not affect their central vision. When Glaucoma starts affecting vision, the side vision starts deteriorating first, and only at a very late stage in the disease that central vision is affected. If untreated, glaucoma may lead to total blindness. However, glaucoma is the most common cause of preventable blindness. Therefore, regular eye examinations are so important. If glaucoma is detected and treated promptly, it can usually be controlled and the patient will enjoy a safe vision. Although not always the case, children whose parents have glaucoma are at high risk for the disease should have genetic screening early and annual eye examinations after the age of 18. Juvenile Glaucoma is found to be the result of a defect that has been discovered in the TIGR (myocilin) gene.