What Is World Glaucoma Week?

What is glaucoma and how does it develop?

The most important cause of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure. Under normal conditions, a fluid continuously produced inside the eye, which we call "aqueous humour," nourishes certain eye tissues and maintains the shape of the eye. This fluid must leave the eye through special channels within it and mix with the blood circulation. The balance between the production of aqueous humour and its exit from the eye creates "normal intraocular pressure." This is a measurable value and is accepted as 10-21 mmHg. When this balance is disrupted, that is, when the outflow of the produced fluid from the eye decreases, intraocular pressure rises. As a result of prolonged high pressure inside the eye, damage occurs to the optic nerve. During increased intraocular pressure, the patient may have no complaints, but over time peripheral narrowing of the visual field occurs first, followed by complete blindness. Since the optic nerve has a structure that cannot regenerate itself, losses cannot be reversed with treatment, but the disease can be stopped or its progression prevented. For this reason, early diagnosis of this disease, which progresses without symptoms, is very important. The Turkish Ophthalmological Society, within the scope of World Glaucoma Week celebrated worldwide between 6-12 March 2022, continues its efforts to increase public awareness about glaucoma by organizing various events. Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç noted that early diagnosis of asymptomatic glaucoma is of great importance, stating: "Due to the pandemic, major obstacles have been experienced in the early diagnosis of glaucoma over the past two years. People over 40 years of age, especially everyone with a family history of glaucoma, need to have their eyes examined." Glaucoma, known among the public as "eye pressure," ranks second among causes of blindness worldwide. According to figures from the World Glaucoma Association, approximately 80 million people are estimated to have glaucoma, and this figure is expected to reach approximately 112 million people by 2040. The Turkish Ophthalmological Society continues its efforts to increase public awareness against glaucoma within the scope of World Glaucoma Week, celebrated with events worldwide between 6-12 March 2022. Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç, Head of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society Glaucoma Unit, pointed out that the pandemic period was a very disadvantageous period for glaucoma patients, stating: "The isolation in society and the reduction in routine examinations have caused serious problems in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Our patients need to close this gap quickly. For this reason, people over 40 years of age, especially everyone with a family history of glaucoma, should without delay have their eyes examined as soon as possible, or glaucoma patients already undergoing treatment should continue their treatment completely."

New hope for glaucoma treatment

Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç also stated that there are promising developments in research and clinical trials being conducted worldwide for glaucoma treatment, and believed that this year's World Glaucoma Week celebrations would be celebrated with even greater enthusiasm with this new treatment hope.

Events throughout the week from the Turkish Ophthalmological Society

While approximately 2.5 million glaucoma patients are estimated in Turkey, only one out of every 4 patients is diagnosed and receives treatment. The most important characteristic of glaucoma, a serious public health problem leading to irreversible vision loss, is that it progresses silently without symptoms in the majority of patients and is diagnosed late. The Turkish Ophthalmological Society Glaucoma Unit will, as every year, organize various events within the scope of "World Glaucoma Week" between 6-12 March 2022, this year also under pandemic precautions. During this week, in cooperation with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the "Glaucoma Awareness Video" prepared by the Turkish Ophthalmological Society is planned to be shown by İBB TV on all metro and metrobus lines in Istanbul. Glaucoma awareness posters will be posted at various metro stops and buses in Istanbul; at Ankara Esenboğa Airport and Istanbul Airport, and video screenings will be held. Similarly, posters related to glaucoma week will be posted at Family Medicine centers and hospitals, and patient information brochures prepared by the TOD Glaucoma Unit will be distributed. Videos featuring messages from well-known figures consisting of artists, actors, scientists and businessmen, prepared to increase public awareness in Turkey, will also be featured on social media channels.

Pain mistaken for migraine could be eye pressure

Speaking at World Glaucoma Week, Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç, Head of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society Glaucoma Unit, stated: "In open-angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma, the disease is usually accidentally detected in patients who come for eye examination for a different complaint. Many patients generally learn they have eye pressure disease when they visit an ophthalmologist after age 40 due to near vision problems. In another type of glaucoma known as narrow-angle glaucoma, patients may confuse the symptoms of glaucoma with migraine attacks. Headaches mistaken for migraine can hide silently progressing eye pressure disease that can lead to blindness over time. Regardless of which type of glaucoma it is, with early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be brought under control and vision can be preserved."

Genetic predisposition increases glaucoma sevenfold

Prof. Dr. Yalvaç continued: "The most common type of glaucoma is open-angle or, in other words, silent glaucoma. Particularly when first-degree relatives such as parents and siblings have glaucoma, the risk of the disease appearing in family members increases sevenfold. The rarer narrow-angle glaucoma is more common in women and people with high hypermetropia. Diabetes, causes related to the eye, or long-term cortisone therapy from other causes constitute other risk factors for glaucoma." Prof. Dr. Yalvaç continued: "While glaucoma generally occurs as a result of elevated intraocular pressure, in some special conditions glaucoma can develop even at normal or low pressures. This type, called normal-tension glaucoma, is generally seen in those with vascular problems, low blood pressure, and sleep apnea problems (breathing cessation during night sleep."

Attention to glaucoma in infants

Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç reminded that glaucoma can also occur in infants and added the following to his remarks: "When the eye canals that carry eye fluid do not fully develop in the womb, intraocular pressure can increase in the fetus during pregnancy, and the baby may be born with certain symptoms. This type, which we call congenital glaucoma, is very different from adult glaucomas. Until age three, because the outer tissues of the eye are very elastic in infants, increased pressure enlarges the eye, and babies may be born with large eyes. If this is unilateral, it can be more easily noticed, but when bilateral it can be overlooked. Families should be particularly careful with unilateral large-eyed babies. These infants have excessive tearing, discomfort from light, and eye color cannot be clearly determined. If these symptoms are present, they should immediately consult an ophthalmologist." Prof. Dr. Ilgaz Yalvaç further emphasized that intraocular pressure measurement, which is an integral part of ophthalmological examination, is very important as the first step in glaucoma diagnosis, but diagnosis and treatment planning are not made solely based on pressure measurement, and they follow patients with other advanced methods that evaluate the visual field or can even detect early losses in the optic nerve. Dr. Yalvaç particularly noted that the corneal tissue is thinned in people who have undergone myopia surgery, this condition can lead to falsely normal intraocular pressure measurement, and the disease can be missed, emphasizing that these patients need to be more careful.