12 MARCH - WORLD GLAUCOMA DAY

12 March is known worldwide as Glaucoma Day. On the proposal of the Lithuanian National Glaucoma Union, World Glaucoma Day was celebrated for the first time in Lithuania on 6 March 2008.
Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that can lead to blindness if not diagnosed and treated in time. Glaucoma is incurable because the disease damages the optic nerve and the nerve cells in the retina. Glaucoma gradually narrows the field of vision and makes it difficult to orient oneself in the surroundings, as one looks through a 'tube'. It is an insidious disease and for a long time, sufferers are not even aware that they have glaucoma, as in the early stages the disease usually does not cause any discomfort. It is not contagious, but it can be inherited. People with a history of diabetes, myopia, migraines and fluctuations in arterial blood pressure are more likely to develop glaucoma.
It is more common in people aged 65 years and over, and is diagnosed more often in women than in men, and in people living in urban areas.
There are no preventive measures to avoid the development of glaucoma. However, it is possible to diagnose the disease in its early stages, when there is a better chance of preserving good visual function. It is essential for all people over the age of 40, especially family members of glaucoma sufferers, to have their intraocular pressure and optic nerve tested at least once a year. If a diagnosis is suspected, a detailed consultation with an eye specialist will help. If glaucoma is left untreated, it is possible to go blind. Anyone with glaucoma can save their sight.