05 March 2008

Sydney Eye Hospital joins world-wide fight to combat glaucoma

Sydney Eye Hospital will do its bit to increase awareness about glaucoma – the leading cause of preventable blindness in the developed world – by participating in the first ever World Glaucoma Day, this Thursday, 6 March.
 
Ophthalmologist with the hospital’s Glaucoma Unit and Head of Ophthalmology at Sydney University, Dr John Grigg, said educating the public would ensure earlier screening for the disease and therefore earlier detection.
 
“There are no symptoms during the early stages of the disease, so half the people with glaucoma in developed countries don’t know they’ve got it,” Dr Grigg said.
 
Dr Grigg said it was often assumed that raised eye pressure was the key indicator of glaucoma, but that this isn’t always the case.
 
“Half the people with glaucoma have normal eye pressure,” he said.
 
“You have to look at the optic nerve before a diagnosis can be made and we need to be able to do this before the patient progresses to the advanced stages, which can result in tunnel vision.”
 
Sydney Eye Hospital performs approximately 500 glaucoma operations every year and screens some 30,000 people for the disease.
 
Those most at risk are people with a family history of the disease, as well as those who are short-sighted or have diabetes.
 
The risk of developing glaucoma also increases with age.
 
“Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, laser and surgery, and these treatments can be very effective,” Dr Grigg said.
 
“My advice to anybody who thinks they may be at risk is to get in early for screening – any delay could have serious side-effects for their vision.”
 
Information about glaucoma, screening and treatments will be distributed to Sydney Eye Hospital patients on Thursday as part of a World Glaucoma Day display in the hospital’s foyer.
 
Patient case studies are available for interested media. Please contact the relevant media officer for more information.
 
Media Enquiries: Samantha Norris, 9382 8226 or 0421 618 793