Eye conditions Archives - Page 5 of 5 | Eyecare Plus Optometrists Australia

“When I got glaucoma it really hit home at how lucky I was to not lose my sight,” says Kirk Pengilly, iconic rock legend and glaucoma patient.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It is a disease of the optic nerve which affects 300,000 Australians.

There are no warning signs of the disease’s onset and due to glaucoma having little to no symptoms, 50% of those impacted by the disease are not aware that they have it.

Because early signs can go undetected glaucoma might only be noticed when a significant amount of nerve fibres have been permanently damaged.

World Glaucoma Week: Don’t Be Blindsided

Pengilly, fronts Glaucoma Australia’s risk awareness campaign ‘Don’t Be Blindsided’ in support of World Glaucoma Week (8-14 March 2020).

The ‘Don’t be Blindsided’ campaign urges Australians to have their eyes checked by an optometrist every two years to prevent the irreversible damage caused by glaucoma if left untreated.

While people over the age of 50 and those with a family history of glaucoma are most at risk, Pengilly is proof that anyone can be blindsided by this insidious disease.

Kirk Pengilly was 29 years old when he found out he had glaucoma. His personal experience shows that glaucoma can happen to anyone as he and his family had no history of the disease.

His plea is for Australian’s to have their eyes tested regularly as early detection and intervention is the key to saving a person’s eyesight.

“An eye test is quick and painless and could be the difference between losing your vision, or not. Don’t let glaucoma blindside you, have an eye exam this World Glaucoma Week,” says Pengilly.

Glaucoma Risk Factors

You are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma if you:

Have a family history of glaucoma
Have high eye pressure
Are aged 50 or over
Are of African or Asian descent
Have diabetes
Are short or long sighted
Have been on a prolonged course of cortisone (steroid) medication
Experience migraines
Have had an eye operation or eye injury
Have a history of high or low blood pressure

How To Detect Glaucoma

A comprehensive eye exam is the only way glaucoma can be detected. It is not something you can detect yourself.

There are no symptoms or warning signs in the early stages of this disease.

Glaucoma slowly damages your vision without you being aware as your other eye tends to compensate for the initial vision loss.

The loss of sight from glaucoma is very gradual and a large amount of peripheral vision could be lost well before there is an awareness that you have the disease. Once the nerve fibres have been damaged vision loss can’t be restored.

In Australia, 2-3% of the total population will develop glaucoma.

Immediate relatives of a person with glaucoma have an almost 1 in 4 chance of developing the disease in their lifetime. Older people are at a higher risk as 1 in 8 Australians over 80 will develop glaucoma.

All Australians over the age of 50 should see their optometrist every two years for a comprehensive eye exam.

If you have a family history of glaucoma or are of Asian or African descent it is recommended that you get your eyes checked every two years from the age of 40.

To find out more about glaucoma visit Glaucoma Australia or make an appointment at your local Eyecare Plus optometrist.

Optometrists in Australia are being proactive about putting in place procedures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which, the World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency, only the sixth time the WHO has declared an international emergency of this kind.

The virus is reportedly spreading from person-to-person. According to NSW Health advice, a person can catch the virus if they’re in close proximity to an infected person after only 15 minutes.

Close contact means being face-to-face with an infected person for at least 15 minutes or being in the same room for at least two hours, as someone who has coronavirus when that person was infectious.

Patients preparing to see their optometrist will be asked two questions before all appointments and again on arrival at the optometry practice:

Have you returned from a coronavirus affected area in China in the past two weeks?
Have you returned from China with symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat or breathing difficulties?

If your answer is ‘Yes’ to either of the above questions health authorities in Australia have advised that it is safest for you to ‘not’ see your optometrist until after the incubation period of 14 days has passed.

As of early February, the coronavirus outbreak had killed more than 362 people and infected over 17,300 globally. It is now starting to spread beyond China with one person from the Philippines dead from the virus.

In Australia, it has been reported that there are currently 12 people diagnosed with the virus – four in NSW, four in Victoria, two in Queensland and two in South Australia.

Coronavirus initially causes flu-like symptoms of fever, coughing, sore throat and breathing difficulties. It can lead to pneumonia and in 2.9 percent of cases people will die from the virus, according to the Australian Department of Health.

The incubation period is often longer than other viruses such as the flu and can take two to 10 days to show symptoms. During the incubation period the virus remains contagious.

If you have travelled to an affected area and, within 14 days of travel, have developed a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath or if you have had contact with a person with confirmed coronavirus, you should isolate yourself from other people.

If you show these signs seek medical assistance straight away by contacting your GP or your emergency department or call the health direct helpline on 1800 022 222.

Category: Eye conditions

Glaucoma: Don’t be Blindsided

World Glaucoma Week: Don’t Be Blindsided

Glaucoma Risk Factors

How To Detect Glaucoma

Coronavirus: Optometrists Are Taking Immediate Action