As part of its efforts to raise awareness about glaucoma, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is on a mission to educate the public about the eye disease which has the potential of causing progressive damage of the eye nerve. The sensitisation move comes even as the world over observes World Glaucoma Week (March 11- 17).According to information disseminated by the GPHC, as the world’s population ages, glaucoma has become an undeniably prominent cause of blindness, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) producing statistics which show that it is now the second leading cause of blindness globally, after cataracts. It has been asserted, though, that whilst cataract is a curable disease, glaucoma presents perhaps an even greater public health challenge,Cheap NFL Jerseys, because the blindness it causes is irreversible. In fact, it is now accepted by the WHO that glaucoma is the number one cause for irreversible blindness.According to the GPHC’s information source,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, the main reason glaucoma has become the second leading cause of blindness is due to the older population in the world.“The world population aged 50 years and over has increased by 30 per cent since 1990. In developed countries, the increase in people over 50 was 16 per cent but in developing countries it was 47 per cent.”Statistics dating back from 2002 show that there are about 37 million people who are blind worldwide with more than 82 per cent of all blind people being 50 years and older. It has been deduced, too, that although 12 per cent of all blindness cases are linked to glaucoma (approximately 4.5 million) there is an expectation that this will increase to approximately 11 million by 2020.TYPES OF GLAUCOMAThere are several types of glaucoma, with the most common classification being the open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma. In Guyana and the Caribbean, the most common type of glaucoma is open-angle.Primary open-angle glaucoma usually affects both eyes, but one eye can be worse than the other. However, secondary glaucomas are those that occur as a complication of other disorders of the eye such as trauma and inflammation.Some forms of glaucoma may occur at birth (congenital) or during childhood and teenage years (juvenile).? In the majority of cases however, glaucoma appears after the fourth decade of life, and its frequency increases with age. There is no clearly established difference in glaucoma incidence between men and women.Numerous studies have shown that eye pressure is a major risk factor for damage to the optic nerve. The globe of the eye has a space at the front of the eye called the anterior chamber. There is a clear fluid within this chamber and it flows continuously in and out of the chamber to nourish the tissues in that area. The fluid leaves the chamber at the “angle” of the eye and then exits through a spongy meshwork, like a drain.As the name suggests,NFL Jerseys For Sale, in open-angle glaucoma, even though the drainage angle is “open”, the fluid passes too slowly through the meshwork drain. In patients who have propensity to develop glaucoma, with aging this meshwork gets worn and this affects the drainage of the fluid from the eye. Since the fluid builds up, the pressure inside the eye rises to a level that may damage the optic nerve. In closed-angle glaucoma the angle becomes blocked and when this happens there is a sharp rise in the eye pressure. Angle-closure glaucoma is usually treated by opening up the angle.GLAUCOMA SYMPTOMSPatients with open-angle glaucoma have no symptoms initially. It causes no pain and vision remains normal.? When patients start having vision problems at this point it means that they already have significant damage done to their eye nerve, as much as 40 per cent damage.When patients start experiencing vision loss they start by noticing loss in their peripheral (side) vision. They may miss objects to the side and out of the corner of their eye. Some patients may notice black spots or dark areas within their vision (called scotomas). As the disease worsens the vision appears as that of looking through a tunnel. As time progresses this tunnel becomes smaller until all vision is lost.WHO IS AT RISK FOR OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA?Anyone can develop glaucoma. Those persons who are at higher risk than others include: Patients of African descent over age 40, everyone over age 60, persons who have a relative with glaucoma or patients suffering from diabetes.Whether you develop glaucoma depends on the level of eye pressure your optic nerve can tolerate without being damaged. This level is different for each person and this is why you need to have a comprehensive eye exam done by an ophthalmologist to determine if your eye pressure is within normal limits and to determine if your ey