Canadian Ophthalmological Society aims to reduce blind spots about vision loss during Glaucoma Awareness Month

Vision-saving facts shed light on this leading, yet preventable eye disease

TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2021 /CNW/ - Known as "the sneak thief of sight" glaucoma is a difficult disease to detect because it has no noticeable symptoms until it's at an advanced stage and, once vision is lost, it is permanent. Yet glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness affecting 60 million people worldwide including over 800,000 Canadians, half of whom don't even know they have it, according to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. During Glaucoma Awareness Month, they stress the importance of regular eye exams for detecting glaucoma, given that as much as 40 per cent of vision can be lost without a person noticing it.

"Particularly with an aging population in Canada, the number of people over the age of 60 with this eye disease is only expected to increase, with the potential to become an epidemic if there isn't adequate awareness," said Dr. Dr. Colin Mann, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. "While there currently is no cure, the good news is that vision loss from glaucoma can be prevented through early diagnosis with yearly, comprehensive eye exams."

What is it?
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which transmits the images you see from the eye to the brain and is made up of many nerve fibres. These nerve fibres become damaged by pressure that builds up inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP), which can cause blind spots and vision loss. It is a chronic eye disease but can be controlled with proper management.

While those older than 60 are six times more likely to get glaucoma, anyone can develop the disease and there are several different factors that can increase your risk, including: 

• Ethnicity (those of African or East Asian descent are 15 times more likely to get glaucoma)
• A family history, which increases the likelihood of glaucoma by 4-9 times
• Long-term steroid use
• Previous eye injuries
• Corneal thickness and certain optic nerve conditions

Detection & Treatment
The onset of glaucoma is very subtle. By the time it is noticeable, the most common symptoms include the loss of peripheral vision, halos around lights, eye pain and/or redness, and blurred or decreased vision. The goal of glaucoma treatment is to lower eye pressure to a target level that is less likely to cause further optic nerve damage. Treatment options include eye drops or several different medications to decrease the amount of fluid in the eye, increase outflow of fluid from the eye, or reduce the production of fluid, and laser treatments to improve drainage of fluid from the eye. For cases in which eye drops and laser fail to stop the progression of glaucoma, conventional surgery may be recommended to create a new passage for aqueous fluid to leave the eye, including minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), a group of devices/procedures to improve movement of fluid through the eye or reduce fluid production.

Learn more about your risk for developing glaucoma by taking the quiz at seethepossibilities.ca.

About Canadian Ophthalmological Society
The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) is the national, recognized authority on eye and vision care in Canada. As eye physicians and surgeons, we are committed to assuring the provision of optimal medical and surgical eye care for all Canadians by promoting excellence in ophthalmology and by providing services to support our members in practice. Our membership includes over 900 ophthalmologists and 200 ophthalmology residents. We work collaboratively with government, other national and international specialty societies, our academic communities (ACUPO), our provincial partners and affiliates and other eye care professionals and patient groups to advocate for health policy in Canada in the area of eye and vision health. COS is an accredited, award-winning provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and is an affiliate of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). For more information, visit cos-sco.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Ophthalmological Society

Elizabeth Glassen, [email protected], 647.309.0141, BlueSky Communications