Glaucoma is slowly
blinding Filipinos everyday and it’s not leaving without pain or duress. With
World Glaucoma Week coming in, the time is right for doctors and patients alike
to fight the disease.
The Philippine Glaucoma
Society (PGS) is bringing in the best activities and events to the Filipinos as
it sparks the beginning of a world without Glaucoma.
“Glaucoma is a grave condition that
requires everyone’s attention. World Glaucoma Week is just the beginning of a
series of events that we hope will spread awareness to all Filipinos nationwide
that early detection is the only way to stop Glaucoma in its tracks. The way to
the light begins today,” said PGS president, Dr. Jose Ma. Martinez.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that
gradually steals vision. It damages the optic nerve, which is the nerve that
delivers information from the eye to the brain. Damage to the optic nerve
shrinks the visual field and eventually causes blindness. In some cases of
glaucoma, patients experience eye pain, blurred vision, eye redness, headache,
vomiting and seeing rainbows around the eyes.
It shows no symptoms and comes
without a warning, which is why PGS advocates for the early detection of
glaucoma in patients.
Glaucoma can come at any age but is
mostly inherent in older in the elderly. Those with eye pressure, family
history of glaucoma, age beyond 45, previous eye injury, chronic steroid use,
diabetes mellitus, and Asian descent are the risks factors that increases the
chances of a patient in developing glaucoma.
The Philippine Glaucoma
Society is slating surgical caravans, Facebook photo contests, mall events, and
sponsorships of glaucoma procedures and surgeries in indigent patients
nationwide. The surgeries will be held simultaneously in Manila, Davao, and
Cebu.
PGS is conducting these
events in light of the need to spread awareness of a disease that has been
plaguing the Filipinos for years. The PGS is aware that to get rid of Glaucoma
forever, it must be at the forefront of teaching people about it. The PGS
Foundation will work hand-in-hand with government hospitals and private
organizations.
We look forward to
seeing the future without Glaucoma darkening our lives. It begins now in World
Glaucoma Week,” said Dr. Jose Ma. Martinez.
For more information,
visit www.philglaucomasociety.org.
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