Good vision is a key factor for living a healthy happy life. The earlier we start looking after the health of our eyes the better chance of maintaining goodwill throughout our lives. Problems can occur at any age, which is why regular eye examinations with Ophthalmologists are important. Good vision isn't just about seeing well, it's about living well. One such eye affection is Glaucoma. A glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, which is vital for good vision. Worldwide glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness. At Medicircle, we are conducting an awareness series on glaucoma with eminent ophthalmologists for the world glaucoma day to boost awareness and educate people about eye health.

Dr. Kareeshma Wadia completed her medical education from Padmashree Dr. D. Y Patil Medical College, Pune, and went on to pursue her post-graduation DNB in Ophthalmology from the prestigious Bombay City Eye Institute in Mumbai. Jehan Eye Clinic is a center for skilled Clinical Excellence and aims to be at par with the latest technologies at all times. It is headed by Dr. Kareeshma Wadia who is a well-known cornea specialist in Mumbai. She also specializes in Cataract and Refractive Surgeries. Being a well-known Cornea specialist, she regularly is an invited speaker and conducts multiple instruction courses, and enhances skill transfer sessions at national and international conferences.

Structure of Eye

Dr. Kareeshma describes, “when we look at the eye from outside, we see a black portion and a white portion. What you think is black isn't actually black. It's the transparent cover on the top, the color comes from the structure beneath it, which is why somebody’s eyes are blue, green, brown, or black. A transparent cover on the eye is called a cornea and the structure behind it imparts the color. Right at the back of the eye, the nerves that connect your eyeballs to your brain are actually the optic nerve. It is this nerve, which carries signals from your eye to your brain. So, it is this optic nerve which gets damaged in glaucoma which can cause blindness.”

Importance of Evaluating Glaucoma Very Often

Dr. Kareeshma explains, “If the nerve is damaged anywhere in the body, it does not regrow without any influence or without any permanent damage. So, in this case, the permanent damage is the loss of vision. So, if the optic nerve is involved, whether it is mild, moderate, or severe, there is a certain amount of vision loss which is expected which correlates with how bad the disease is. So, in early glaucoma, one may not have any amount of blindness. But if it is uncontrolled or went undiagnosed, then there will be a severe level of blindness with advanced glaucoma.” 

Dr. Kareeshma adds, “In the early stage, damaged optic nerve affects the periphery of your vision. As the damage progresses further, it starts coming from the periphery to the center. When it hits the centre, is usually when the patient realizes that vision is not clear, it's a little blur. By this time the damage has progressed so much which is irreversible damage, all we can do is prevent further damage, but we cannot make up for what is already lost. There are no sign or symptoms which indicates that a person is having high eye pressure.”

Glaucoma is Not Really Reversible But it is Controllable

Dr. Kareeshma suggests, “Early diagnosis is the key because if a patient is picked up in the early stage, the patient may not have any damage or may have mild damage. It is further controllable, but the damage is not reversible. Control can be done either with drops or lasers or surgeries based on again, how the patient’s body response to each. But usually, the first line of treatment will be Eye drops. If the patient comes in late-stage, then the drops possibly may not be as effective. What is lost, cannot be reversed. We can only aim to protect from further damage, but we can't improve whatever is gone. So, it is not really reversible. It is only controllable.”

(Edited by - Renu Gupta)