Spire Bushey Hospital is keen to raise awareness about glaucoma during World Blindness Month. Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged at the point where it leaves the eye. It affects two to four per cent of people over the age of 40 in the UK and is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. It is believed that only 50% of people with the disease have been diagnosed at any one time, an estimated quarter of a million people in the UK. This is because the symptoms increase gradually. Irreparable damage will already have taken place, by the time a person realises that they have a visual problem, due to glaucoma.
"It’s very important to get your eyes checked," says Jeremy Joseph, consultant ophthalmologist, at Spire Bushey. "It is vital that people have their eyes checked by an optician at least every two years. This applies whether they wear glasses or not, and is particularly important in those over 40 years of age. If the optician suspects glaucoma or any other eye disease, we have all the equipment, and Consultant expertise, at Spire Bushey to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment, or give the all clear."
For further information please ring 020 8901 5505.
