Turkish Ophthalmology Association Head of Glaucoma Unit Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Güngör made important warnings about the diagnosis and treatment of the disease due to Glaucoma Week. prof. Dr. Kıvanç Güngör stated that the World Glaucoma Association celebrates the second week of March every year as "World Glaucoma Week" in order to raise awareness about the disease in the society. Expressing that as the Turkish Ophthalmology Association, they aim to publicize the need for basic eye examinations in order to diagnose the disease in the early stages and protect vision in Turkey, Güngör stated that they carry out studies to raise awareness about eye pressure measurement within the scope of the week, and that those who are aware of glaucoma apply to ophthalmologists.
There are approximately 300 glaucoma patients in the earthquake zone.
Stating that after the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş that affected 11 cities, Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Güngör said, “If we use the estimation that there are 2 million glaucoma patients in our country, we can say that more than 300 thousand of these patients are in the earthquake zone. We are trying to take the necessary precautions so that the follow-up and treatment of these patients do not suffer from vision loss. In this context, as the Turkish Ophthalmology Association, we continue our efforts to provide mobile eye examination services in the provinces in the earthquake zone.” he said.
prof. Dr. Pointing out that glaucoma disrupts the nerve cells in the visual pathway, Güngör said, “One of the important causes of the disease is that the high eye pressure in most of the patients disrupts the blood circulation in the eye nerve and this pressure causes damage to the nerve cells. The damage to the optic nerve is irreversible. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment is very important.” used the phrase.
6 and a half million people worldwide have suffered from vision loss
Expressing that the disease can be seen at any age from birth, but it usually occurs after the age of 40, Güngör stated that the incidence of this disease increases with age, and that many types of glaucoma are more common in women, while congenital ones are more common in men.
Explaining the incidence of glaucoma in Turkey and in the world, Güngör continued: “While the number of people with glaucoma in the world, especially between the ages of 40 and 80, was around 70 million in the past years, it is thought that this number will at least double in the 2050s. The incidence of glaucoma over the age of forty is around 2 percent. Due to this disease, 6 and a half million people have lost their vision. The incidence in our country is 2-2,5 percent. The number of diagnosed glaucoma patients in Turkey is around 500 thousand. However, it is estimated that the number of people with glaucoma is 4 times that. In other words, 2 million of approximately 1 million patients have not yet received treatment.”
What are the treatment methods?
Güngör stated that if damage is detected in the evaluations made with devices on the optic nerve at regular intervals, it is necessary to reduce the eye pressure with drops and to stop the loss in the visual field, and said, “If we do not get positive results from the drug treatment, laser applications and surgeries are needed. Laser and surgical procedures can be applied with different techniques according to the clinical condition of the patient. If treatment is delayed or insufficient, glaucoma can result in blindness. warned.