Doctors at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar flag concern over rise in cases of glaucoma

BHUBANESWAR: Doctors at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have flagged concern over rising glaucoma cases as four to five patients in every 100 patients coming to eye OPD are being detected with glaucoma, which is the growing cause of blindness among people above the age of 60. Executive director AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Dr Ashutosh Biswas said maximum patients are being detected with glaucoma at the last stage without any symptoms.

Speaking on occasion of World Glaucoma Week celebration on Wednesday, he said of the 78 million glaucoma patients in the world, 16 million reside in India. He advised people at risk and patients having diabetes and hypertension to get screened for glaucoma as it can be prevented if detected early.

Department head Dr Sucheta Parija explained regarding the glaucoma and about the risk population. The most serious form of the disease is closed-angle glaucoma, which occurs when the angle becomes suddenly blocked, causing pressure in the eye to rise sharply. Although there is no cure for glaucoma, surgery may stabilise vision and prevent future vision loss, she said. At AIIMS, laser and surgery facilities are available for adult and pediatric glaucoma. All types of advanced tests like perimetry, OCT, UBM are also available to detect glaucoma.

“Every individual above 40 years irrespective of sex should have an annual checkup of intraocular pressure. People should avoid over the counter use of steroid eye drops for different eye disorders,” Dr Parija said.Dr Biswas distributed medication kits to the glaucoma patients on this occasion. Medical superintendent Dr Dillip Kumar Parida and dean Dr Prashanta Raghab Mohapatra also spoke.