"Glaucoma Clinic" Inauguration at Ahalia Hospital Abu Dhabi, by His Excellency Mr. Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE

What Is Glaucoma? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s?Optic Nerve, It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve.

The?symptoms?can?start?so slowly that you?may?not notice?them.?The?only?way to find out if you have?glaucoma is to get a?comprehensive dilated?eye exam.??

There’s no?cure?for?glaucoma, but?early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.??

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

At first, glaucoma doesn’t?usually?have?any?symptoms.?That’s why?half of?the people with glaucoma don’t?even?know they have it.?? Over time, you?may slowly lose?vision,?usually?starting with your?side?(peripheral)?vision?— especially the part of your vision that’s?closest to your nose. Because it happens so slowly,?many people?can’t tell?that?their?vision is changing at first.?

But as?the disease?gets worse,?you may?start to?notice?that?you can’t see?things off to the side anymore.?Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually cause blindness.?

What Does Glaucoma Feel Like?

Acute closed- or narrow-angle glaucoma.?People often describe this as “the worst?EYE PAIN?of my life.” Symptoms strike quickly:

• Severe throbbing eye pain
• Eye redness
• Headache
• Blurry or foggy?vision
• Halos?around lights
• Dilated pupil
• Nausea & Vomiting

The Importance of Early Detection -Health talk by Dr Rini Saha (Specialist Ophthalmologist)

Screening for Glaucoma

Although you can’t prevent glaucoma, early detection, and treatment can slow or even stop the progression of the disease and prevent potential complications. After age 60, when the chances of developing glaucoma increase, doctors recommend having an eye exam every year.?

Can Glaucoma Be Stopped??

Glaucoma damage is permanent—it cannot be reversed. But medicine and surgery help to stop further damage.?Once you are taking medications for glaucoma, your ophthalmologist will want to see you regularly. You can expect to visit your ophthalmologist about every 3–6 months. However, this can vary depending on your treatment needs.

If you have any questions about your eyes or your treatment, talk to our ophthalmologist.