Glaucoma, otherwise known as Kala Motia is an eye disease in which there is an increase in pressure inside the eye. Just as some people have high blood pressure, in the same way a glaucoma patient has high eye pressure.
If the eye pressure remains high for a long time it damages the optic nerve which carries the light sensor from the eye to the brain. This damage to the nerve is irreversible and leads to permanent and incurable blindness. That is why glaucoma is a dangerous disease of the eye and has been labeled as lurking thief of vision.
Glaucoma is a serious eye disease caused by increased fluid pressure within the eye, which can damage the optic nerve that transmits images to the brain. One of the leading causes of irreversible blindness, the estimated number of cases of glaucoma in India is 12 million. This is around one fifth of global burden of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is known as the silent thief of sight as it is a symptomless disease, and people usually do not realize that they are suffering from glaucoma unless they visit the ophthalmologist or have reached an advanced stage of disease. If undiagnosed and untreated, glaucoma can lead to irreversible loss of vision and even cause blindness. Though the disease is not curable, the progress of glaucoma can be halted and total blindness can be prevented if it is detected early.
