Eye Pressure: A Silent Threat

The most insidious feature of glaucoma is that it typically progresses without complaints. Visual-field loss starts at the periphery; it is hard to notice until the central vision is affected. That is why the disease is known in medicine as “the silent thief of sight”.

Who Should Be Screened Early?

• Anyone over 40 — once a year
• Those with a family history of glaucoma — from age 35
• Patients with diabetes or hypertension
• Long-term corticosteroid users
• High myopes or hyperopes

What Does the Examination Include?

A proper glaucoma screening is not just an intraocular pressure measurement. It also includes:

• Visual-field testing (perimetry)
• Retinal nerve-fiber layer thickness with OCT
• Gonioscopy to evaluate the anterior chamber angle

Even if the eye pressure alone looks normal, a silent injury to the optic nerve may already be underway.

Prospects with Treatment

Glaucoma is a manageable disease — but lost vision cannot be restored. When caught early, a single drop a day is often enough for most patients.