Glaucoma of some type is found in about two per cent of the population over the age of 40. It is estimated that more than 500,000 people suffer from glaucoma in England and Wales alone, with more than 70 million people affected across the world (IGA 2008).
The great majority of people have a chronic, slow to progress condition known as Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). It has been shown that half of all cases remain undiagnosed and that people of African-Caribbean origin have about four times the risk of POAG as whites.
It is therefore extremely important to attend an optician for an eye test - not just for glasses but to review the health of the eye. The optician will examine your eyes as well as testing your visual field and the pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure). If the optician finds a problem with any of these elements they will either refer you directly to the hospital eye service or to your GP for referral.
The visit to the hospital eye service will allow a healthcare professional with specialist qualifications and experience in glaucoma to carry out an in-depth assessment of your eyes. This will include checking your intraocular pressure and examining the back of your eye particularly the optic nerve head (optic disc).
You will need to have your pupils enlarged to make this examination as accurate as possible. Enlarged pupils can affect your vision so please do not drive to your appointment. You may also need to have your visual field tested with a slightly more sophisticated machine than available in the majority of high street opticians.
Please do not worry if you have been referred into the hospital eye service as the aim of all treatments for glaucoma is to lower the intraocular pressure and slow the progression of the disease. The first line of treatment is usually eye drops and your healthcare professional will choose the most appropriate one for you. You may have to try a few different eye drops to find the one most suited to you personally.
There are many sources of information about glaucoma but we would recommend that you visit the International Glaucoma website as this has a wide range of information for you to access.
