CSI FOCUS WEEK GLAUCOMA BY JESSIE MASENYANE TAYLOR MOLEFE
A second look
How testing can reduce the impact of glaucoma
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laucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in South Africa and the world. However, this condition is often left undetected, leading to irreversible vision loss. Yet testing for this illness is quick and painless and can prevent permanent damage to the optic nerve. This is the message that World Glaucoma Week aims to spread. The awareness week runs between Sunday the 6th and Saturday the 12th of March and is a clarion call to all South Africans to get tested for glaucoma and other eye diseases. A GRADUAL PROGRESSION Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide, with around 4.5 million people suffering from the disease globally. In South Africa, it is estimated that about 200 000 people are affected. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve. The disorders affect the point of the optic nerve where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain. The condition sees patients develop a specific pattern of progressive damage to the optic nerve. This usually begins with a slight loss of peripheral vision. The eye has internal pressure, created by a clear fluid that flows through the eye which drains into the blood via an area called the anterior chamber angle. However, in glaucoma patients, this outflow is obstructed and this, in turn, causes increased eye pressure. This pressure can, over time, damage the optic nerve. If left untreated, glaucoma can progress gradually towards blindness without giving any warnings or obvious symptoms to the patient
40 | Public Sector Leaders | March 2022
