A Caravan of Hope: World Glaucoma Week 2013

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.