Wednesday, March 11, 2015

City of Cape Town calls for more awareness on Glaucoma

Oscar Thomas
10 March 2015

City of Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has called for more awareness to be raised about Glaucoma, the second most common cause of blindness.

This as between the 8th and the 14th of March marks World Glaucoma Week. Mayor de Lille said it is important for people to get tested on a regular basis before damage is done. 

Mayor De Lille Spokesperson Zara Nicholson said Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that causes progressive damage to the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain.

Nicholson said Glaucoma is also the second most common cause of blindness worldwide due to the silent progression the disease most in the early with up to 50% of infected people worldwide not being aware of having glaucoma.

“If not treated the disease gradually progresses to worsening visual damage and may lead to blindness and the damage caused is irreversible however with early detection and treatment it can halt or slow down any vision loss” Nicholson added.

 

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