Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness but according to optometrists, in most cases vision loss can be prevented with early detection.
“We cannot prevent you from getting glaucoma if it’s going to happen, in many cases its genetic,” optometrist, Dr. Diana Monea explains, “but we can prevent you from losing any vision.”
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease in which fluid is unable to drain from the eye. Elevated pressure can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve but if detected early, the condition can be managed.
France Picone was diagnosed 20 years ago when she was in her late 30s.
“I had some eye strain before but I dismissed it as being tired, fortunately this time the pain was severe enough I saw an optometrist,” she recalls.
Not all patients will experience pain related to glaucoma. In most cases, Dr. Monea says there are no early warning signs.
“We actually call it a thief in the dark because it sneaks up on you, you don’t even know about it because there generally there are no symptoms.”
While the disease can be detected during routine eye exams, recent study has found nearly half of Albertans don’t regularly see an eye doctor.
The survey, commissioned by the Alberta Association of Optometrists found 44% of Albertans do not regularly see an optometrist because they don’t believe they need to.
Cost may also be an obstacle, Alberta Health does not cover the cost of routine eye exams for adults between the age of 19 and 64.
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