Florence Udoh
13 March 2008
Lagos — Amidst reports that no fewer than 65 million people suffer from glaucoma worldwide, with 10 million people already blind, a glaucoma specialist, Dr. Adeola Onakoya said glaucoma is now a public health problem in Nigeria as the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Nigeria.
Speaking at a media dialogue to mark the World Glaucoma Day which held recently, Dr. Onakoya, a senior lecturer, College of Medicine, University of Lagos and consultant ophthalmologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, said that glaucoma is a major eye problem seen among Nigerians on a daily basis at the hospital.
Unfortunately, she said, patients report too late when not much could be done to prevent their blindness.
According to her, glaucoma is particularly dangerous because it often strikes without any warning signal.
She said that glaucoma affects both children and adult, adding that it is a form of degenerating disease in the elderly while some children are born with it. She advised parents to watch out for children with big eyeballs, watery eyes or those who have their eyes closed all the time.
If nothing is done, they will become blind, she explained.
Glaucoma is a disease that affects the nerves of the eye. It is a disease that affects both eyes and a progressing disease whether treated or not. Treatment only slows down the state of progression. Patients are not aware that they have it because it does not show any symptom, no pain, no red eyes. It is symptom- less.
She said that black people were more at risk of glaucoma just as people with history of glaucoma in their family, people with cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, diabetes etc, people with myopia (short sightedness), those with past severe eye injury and those who have been previously treated wrongly with steroid eye drops.
Although most cases of glaucoma will result in blindness whether treated or not, Dr. Onakoya said early treatment will prevent or at least slow down blindness. Such treatment, she added, could be either through the use of drugs, laser treatment or surgery. But these must be carried out early to achieve good results.
She therefore recommended regular screening for all Nigerians as a way of reducing the rate of blindness from glaucoma.
She said that, screening should start from the pre-school age children to the adults.
People should be examined by an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) at least once in two years. Those with history of blindness in their family should be screened once a year. Regular screening is also important for people aged 40 and above she emphasized.
Also at the forum, the Product Manager, Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals Mr. Abiola Oladapo told journalists that the World Glaucoma Day was being marked worldwide to create awareness on the grave consequence of glaucoma. He said that, since glaucoma has not been associated with any symptom, regular eye screening remains the only way for early detection, treatment and prevention of blindness.
As one of the few pharmaceutical companies involved in the management of glaucoma, Pfizer is deeply committed to ensuring that the Nigerian public has adequate information on this serious condition. We believe glaucoma should not be ignored. As the commonest cause of irreversible blindness in Nigeria, everyone, from government, corporate organizations to individuals must be involved in the quest for its early detection so as to prevent blindness.
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