EYE HEALTH


AN INSIGHT INTO GLAUCOMA


WITH AROUND TEN PER CENT OF UK BLINDNESS ATTRIBUTED TO


GLAUCOMA, IT IS CRITICAL THAT PHARMACISTS HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CONDITION.


32 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST By Timothy McClure G


laucoma is one of the most common eye conditions encountered in primary


care. It is a disease of the optic nerve including characteristic damage to the optic nerve head and typical defects in the visual field, with or without increased intraocular pressure (IOP)1


.


This generally leads to a progressive loss of sight affecting one or both eyes, though it often progresses more quickly in one eye than in the other2


attributed to the disease and on a global scale, it is the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts1,3


.


Therefore it is critical that we as pharmacists should have a deep understanding of this condition, how it presents and the medication used to treat it.


Risk factors associated with glaucoma include:


• Positive family history - incidence increases two to four fold if have an


. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness with approximately ten per cent of UK blindness registrations


affected sibling


• Age - glaucoma becomes more likely as get older, with most people


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