National Glaucoma Week

The National Glaucoma Week will take place from March 11 to 17 with several programmes to be organised island-wide, the National Eye Hospital Director Dr. Lionel Muhandiramge said.

Addressing a press conference held at the National Eye Hospital in Colombo yesterday, he said that a clinical training was held on March 11 for Ophthalmologists and a media seminar organised for journalists held on March 12 to mark the week. Glaucoma screening for the public will take place at Dakshinapaya, Labuduwa, Galle on March 14 from 9.00 am onwards.

On March 15, a Glaucoma Screening Clinic will take place at the National Eye Hospital for the public. It is recommended for all above the age of 40 and especially the persons who have family history of Glaucoma, who have a sibling with Glaucoma, diabetics, who had eye injuries in the past, who are taking steroids for a disease, who suffer from shortsightedness etc to get themselves screened free of charge for Glaucoma, he said.

The Glaucoma Walk will take place on March 15 from Viharamahadevi Park to the National Eye Hospital. All main state hospitals have screening facilities for Glaucoma. Glaucoma does not have visible symptoms until the disease reach the late stages. Therefore, screening is a must to detect the disease as early as possible. The disease cannot be reversed. The damage can be prevented from progressing further once detected, he added.

Consultant Ophthalmologists said that the main symptoms of Glaucoma are severe eye pain, headache, blued vision, redness in eyes and vomiting. The optic nerve, eye pressure, vision field and nerves (OCT) should be checked in order to diagnose Glaucoma. The best time for Glaucoma screening is when a person reach the age of 40 and start to use glasses to read.