Enugu – The South-East Ophthalmologists’ Forum (SEOF), a body of eye specialists, says a survey has revealed that the high rate of blindness in the region is caused by glaucoma, a dreadful eye disease.
Glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged, leading to loss of vision if not detected and treated early enough.
It usually occurs when the fluid in the eye cannot drain properly, thereby increasing the pressure inside the eye and putting pressure on the optic nerve.
Although it is a common condition, many people won’t realise they have it because it doesn’t always cause symptoms in the early stages.
A leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, glaucoma can affect people of all ages, including babies and young children, but is most common in adults in their 70s and 80s.
Addressing a news briefing at the end of a one day Glaucoma symposium in Enugu on Friday, Prof. Richard Umeh, the Chairman of the forum, said that the symposium was organised to provide a platform to discuss and share ideas, with a view to finding a solution to the menace.
He said that if they did nothing to check the disease, they would have failed as medical experts.
The Coordinator of the forum, Dr. Sebastine Nwosu, also explained that glaucoma attacks the nerves that do not regenerate, thereby causing blindness.
According to Nwosu, the blindness is caused because such nerves do not itch or cause redness of the eye but erode the eye gradually until total blindness occurs.
Glaucoma, he said, remained a deadly disease, because it has no cure but could only be managed to stem its spread.
He said that the only known remedy was surgery and medication to reduce the malady.
One of the doctors, Dr. Nkiru Akariwe, said that glaucoma could only be checked if patients visit experts on time before their condition deteriorate.
“If people have their eyes checked on time, it could be managed; as a disease with no cure, the treatment is for life,” she said.
She said that participants at the symposium were drawn from specialist hospitals, especially government-owned hospitals.