On the occasion of the World Week of glaucoma, from March 9 to 15, a campaign of screening was organized by the French Glaucoma Society (SFG) and the National Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired (Unadev). A screening bus has been set up at the Place de la Nation in Paris, it will then travel to around twenty French cities until July.
This eye disease, often asymptomatic, is the second leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Caused by too much pressure inside the eye, glaucoma can be treated to stop its progression, but vision cannot be restored when the disease is already advanced. “Early detection of glaucoma is therefore essential”, recalls the National Institute of Health (Inserm), from the age of 40 to 45, or earlier in case of myopia or a history of glaucoma in the family. The disease can occur at any age, including at birth, but it affects 1 to 2% of the population over 40 and around 10% after 70, according to Inserm figures.
200 screenings planned
More than a million people are affected in France “of which around 600,000 are treated, while 400,000 ignore it”, is alarmed by Professor Philippe Denis, president of the SFG, quoted by AFP. To screen for the condition, doctors measure eye pressure with a pulsed air tonometer. A new ultrasound technique is available in some centres.
Excessive pressure is “a major risk factor but is not necessarily synonymous with glaucoma because one can develop one without having high intraocular pressure”, explains Professor Denis. In this case, a check-up with the ophthalmologist will be advised and a processing eye drops can be prescribed to stabilize the disease. The “Glaucoma Bus” should carry out around 200 screenings in the week according to the head of the ophthalmology health center of Unadev, Thibaut Fourteau, reports AFP.
