15th March 2022, Colombo: Eric Rajapakse Opticians, Sri Lanka’s leading eye care specialist with over 100 years of expertise, is using World Glaucoma Week 2022 to create awareness about the eye disease that is affecting around 80 million people across the globe.
Glaucoma is an eye condition where your eye’s optic nerve is damaged over time due to the buildup of pressure inside your eye. This increase in pressure, known as intraocular pressure, can damage your optic nerve, which sends images to your brain. Over time, as the damage gets worse, glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss or even total irreversible blindness within a few years. Lowering your eye pressure allows you to maintain your current vision.
You are more likely to get glaucoma if you are over 40, have a family history of glaucoma, are near or farsighted, have poor vision, have diabetes, have had an injury to one or both eyes, have high blood pressure or heart disease, have corneas that are thinner than normal or take certain steroid medications such as prednisone.
One of the main things you can do is to get your eyes checked regularly by an eyecare professional so that you can catch the disease during its early stages and treat it accordingly. Make sure you eat plenty of healthy green vegetables and coloured fruits daily as they contain vital vitamins and minerals that protect your eyes. Get regular exercise but be mindful that intense exercise raises your heart rate and your eye pressure so moderate exercise is recommended. Eye injuries can lead to glaucoma so always wear protective eyewear during outdoor activities. There is some evidence that the UV rays from the sun may cause a type of glaucoma so always wear quality polarized sunglasses and a hat when spending time outdoors on sunny days. Be aware that taking steroids for long periods of time or in high doses can increase your eye pressure.
The highly-qualified and well-experienced professionals of Eric Rajapakse Opticians use state-of-the-art equipment to carry out all testing. All Eric Rajapakse Opticians showrooms provide a safe and secure environment by operating strictly in accordance with the health guidelines given by the authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
