By Dr. Arslan Hassan, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Gul Medicare, Darya Khan
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy. It damages the optic nerve and creates permanent blind spots. Raised eye pressure, or IOP, is the biggest risk factor. But the real danger is silence.
I call it the “silent killer of vision” because it attacks your side vision first while the center stays clear. You keep reading, driving, and recognizing faces. Only when the disease reaches late stages do you realize your visual field has shrunk like a tunnel. By then, the damage is irreversible. The optic nerve cannot heal.
Who should worry most? People with myopia who wear minus glasses. Diabetics. Patients with high blood pressure. Smokers. And anyone with family history of glaucoma. If glaucoma runs in your family, see an ophthalmologist before age 40. If you wear minus power glasses, get checked at 35-40. If you have diabetes or hypertension, make eye exams part of your routine.
Diagnosis is simple but specific: IOP measured with an Applanation tonometer, visual field test on Humphrey perimetry, and OCT for nerve fiber analysis. Treatment starts with anti-glaucoma drops once or twice daily. Check the bottle’s expiry after opening – drops lose power quickly. If drops fail, we use laser. If laser fails, surgery like trabeculectomy is the last line of defense. All of this needs expertise and equipment.
I’ve been fighting glaucoma since 2011. As Assistant Professor and Consultant at Gul Medicare, Darya Khan, I’ve operated on countless patients with minimal tools. I send patients for OCT and field tests to tertiary hospitals, sometimes paying, sometimes begging for free tests. A soldier without weapons cannot win.
My humble request: support us with better equipment. Stronger tools mean more eyes saved. Glaucoma may be silent, but our response cannot be.
