The week of March 6-12, 2011, was declared as World Glaucoma Awareness Week in order to maximize global and local awareness efforts in the best interest of glaucoma patients. Carrying the theme "Don't Lose Sight of Your Family," the event was designed to remind the other family members of a glaucoma patient to go see eye professionals so that they can prevent the occurrence of glaucoma and to prevent visual impairment and vision loss.
Let us live with all our vision intact. Consume diets rich in Vitamin A, minerals, and zinc. Quit smoking. Protect the eyes against direct exposure to the sun. And get regular check-ups.
We celebrated the World Glaucoma Day 2011 at Ayodhya Eye Hospital (Base Camp), Tulsibari Parikrma Marg on 12/03/2011, conducting Free Eye Checkup for Glaucoma Patients.
This year on March 12, 2011, World Glaucoma day was celebrated in AEH by free screening and investigation of patients.
Dr. A.K. Sinha Medical Director and Glaucoma Specialist at Ayodhya Eye Hospital points out who can be affected and the general symptoms:
- If you are above 40 years of age (risk increases with age)
- If you have a family history of glaucoma.
- People with high intra ocular pressure
- People with diabetes
- People with short sightedness (myopia)
- Do not neglect any eye injury as it might lead to glaucoma in later stages
- If you experience pain or redness in the eye
- If you are frequently changing your spectacle prescription get your eye tested for glaucoma
- People who have used steroid group of medicines in the past
What is World Sight Day 2011 (WSD11)?
World Sight Day (WSD) is an international day of awareness, held annually on the second Thursday of October to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. This year, there is no global theme for World Sight Day 2011 (WSD11), which we hope will allow each participating organization to use the occasion to highlight its own priority areas, in ways which will resonate with their own target audiences.
• Global Key Messages
- 80% of all visual impairment can be avoided or cured
- About 284 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 245 million have low vision
- About 90% of the world's visually impaired people live in developing countries
- Globally, uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of visual impairment but in middle and low-income countries cataracts remain the leading cause
- The number of people visually impaired from infectious diseases has greatly reduced in the last 20 years
