Glaucoma develops silently, and Polish eye specialists say thousands may be losing vision without knowing it.
The campaign, organized by the Polish Society of Ophthalmology as part of World Glaucoma Week, is marking its 10th edition this year.
More than 60 eye clinics and medical offices in Poland are taking part.
Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can lead to irreversible blindness. It is often linked to increased pressure inside the eye, but in its early stages it may cause no symptoms, which makes early diagnosis difficult.
Doctors say that is one reason the disease remains such a serious public health problem.
Around 78 million people worldwide are living with glaucoma, and forecasts suggest that figure could rise above 111 million by 2040. In Poland, about 800,000 people are believed to have the disease, and experts estimate that nearly half may be unaware of it.
Prof. Ewa Mrukwa-Kominek, head of the Polish Society of Ophthalmology, said the campaign is meant to improve awareness among patients and doctors and increase the detection of glaucoma.
“This campaign aims to increase awareness among patients and physicians, and also to improve the detection of glaucoma,” she said. “It is about expanding diagnostic testing and referring for examination those patients suspected of having glaucoma, especially people who have never been tested before or have not been tested in recent years and feel concerned that they may have a genetic burden.”
She said that in previous years, participating ophthalmologists examined nearly 20,000 people across Poland, of whom some 40 percent were referred for further diagnosis and treatment.
Prof. Jacek P. Szaflik, head of the Polish Society of Ophthalmology’s Glaucoma Section, said advances in laser treatment and microsurgery are improving the chances of preserving patients’ vision, but only if the disease is recognized quickly.
“The condition for success is a fast and accurate diagnosis,” he said. “Only that allows doctors to introduce the right treatment and carry it out in a thoughtful and consistent way.”
Doctors stress that glaucoma usually affects people over 60, but can appear much earlier. Experts say it is being diagnosed increasingly in children, including newborns.
Prof. Iwona Grabska-Liberek, who initiated the campaign and heads the society’s Corneal Diseases Section, said glaucoma requires constant monitoring, even after surgery, and long-term cooperation with doctors.
She added that because glaucoma is a complex, multifactorial disease, lasting results often depend on cooperation with specialists in other fields, including cardiologists, internists, neurologists and pediatricians.
Family history is one of the main risk factors. Specialists estimate that around 65 percent of glaucoma cases are inherited. Other risk factors include age over 35, low blood pressure, heavily treated high blood pressure, migraines, vascular symptoms such as persistently cold hands and feet, elevated eye pressure, and severe nearsightedness.
Interior designer Tomasz Pągowski, one of the patients speaking during the campaign launch, said he learned he had advanced glaucoma in both eyes after a follow-up vision test.
“When I told my family about the diagnosis, my mother admitted that she had also been using drops for several years,” he said. “She certainly did not realize glaucoma could be hereditary and that I should be getting checked regularly. My sons already know that.”
Doctors also pointed to the risks for children.
Dr. Wojciech Hautz, head of the Ophthalmology Clinic at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, said symptoms in young patients are often dismissed, allowing the disease to progress.
“As with glaucoma in adults, the most important thing is to recognize the disease as early as possible,” he said. “The earlier treatment is introduced, in children it is always surgical, the greater the chance of preserving good visual acuity.”
He said warning signs in children can include unusually large eyes, tearing, sensitivity to light, eyelid spasms, and unexplained crying that may point to discomfort.
World Glaucoma Week is an international initiative led by the World Glaucoma Association. Its goal is to draw attention to glaucoma as a leading cause of irreversible blindness and to promote early diagnosis and treatment before vision worsens.
The campaign is observed in more than 100 countries, and the Polish Society of Ophthalmology has been taking part for a decade.
(rt/gs)
Source: zdrowie.pap.pl