Glaucoma spells unhealthy news on your imaginative and prescient as it will possibly trigger blindness by damaging the nerve at the back of your eye referred to as the optic nerve, but it doesn’t usually present many warning indicators.

A new study, revealed within the journal Acta Ophthalmologica, discovered that half of individuals with the attention situation have been unaware they'd it.

Recruiting 1,203 contributors aged 70, the crew from the University of Gothenburg instructed the contributors to reply questions on their eye health and the presence of glaucoma of their household. 

The findings revealed that nearly 5 p.c of the contributors had glaucoma, and half of these recognized have been unaware that they'd it.

Lena Havstam Johansson, who carried out the analysis, mentioned: “Of those who were diagnosed with glaucoma via the study, 15 people – or 2.7 percent of all participants – were unaware that they had the disease before being examined.

“So half of those who turned out to have glaucoma were diagnosed because they took part in the study.”

Worryingly, the attention situation that offers injury to the optic nerve usually exhibits no warning indicators.

During the early phases of the illness, the wholesome eye can compensate for the loss of vision, leaving many individuals believing their imaginative and prescient is nearly as good as earlier than. 

The analysis crew defined their findings affirm that glaucoma usually doesn’t initially contain a lack of visible acuity, making it more durable to detect the illness.

The NHS explains that when signs seem, they might embody blurred imaginative and prescient or seeing rainbow-coloured circles round vivid lights.

Glaucoma tends to focus on each of your eyes nevertheless it may appear to be one eye is worse.

Occasionally, the attention situation may cause the next signs:

• Intense eye ache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Red eye
• Headache
• Tenderness across the eyes
• Seeing rings round lights
• Blurred imaginative and prescient.

While signs don’t all the time rear their ugly heads, the brand new examine confirmed that there are hereditary elements behind the illness.

Those recognized with glaucoma have been extra more likely to have a detailed relative with the identical analysis. 

Therefore, it's best to intently monitor your threat if in case you have any relations with the widespread eye situation.

The researchers defined it’s essential to establish glaucoma early so you can begin therapy with each day eye drops that decrease the stress within the eye and decelerate the injury to the optic nerve.

The good news is that the examine contributors with glaucoma rated their total high quality of life simply nearly as good as the opposite contributors.

Johansson mentioned: “This was a positive surprise, and was a finding that I hope can bring comfort to many people who have been diagnosed with glaucoma. It’s hard to live with a disease that gradually impairs vision, but life can still be good in many ways.”

However, in addition they reported that their vision-related high quality of life was poorer.

The researcher added: “It’s harder to climb stairs, see curbs in the evening, and notice things in your peripheral vision. This means that people with glaucoma may avoid visiting others, or going to restaurants or parties, and instead stay at home. They lose their independence, and may feel frustrated about it.”