Previously, glaucoma was often thought to be a disease only found in people over 40 years old. However, nowadays, ophthalmologists are recording more and more cases of the disease in the 20–30s, even younger ages. This trend is worrying because glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness if not detected and treated promptly.
According to Dr. Chaitanya Vemu, an ophthalmologist consultant at KIMS Hospital (Thane, India), the increase in glaucoma in young people reflects major changes in lifestyle, genetic factors as well as increasingly accurate diagnosis.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve, the part that transmits image signals from the eye to the brain. The most common cause is increased pressure in the eyeballs when hydrogen fluid does not escape properly.
The dangerous thing is that the disease progresses silently. In the early stages, the patient hardly feels pain or discomfort. Peripheral vision will first decline, then gradually affect central vision. When the lesion has become serious, loss of vision due to glaucoma is irreversible.
Why are young people becoming more and more susceptible to disease?
Using the screen for a long time: Modern lifestyle makes young people spend many hours each day in front of computers, phones and electronic devices. Staying up late, working continuously and dependence on social networks increases eye fatigue, sleep disorders and prolonged stress. Dr. Vemu said that using the screen is not a direct cause of glaucoma, but it makes young people easily overlook abnormal signs and delay regular eye exams, leading to late diagnosis.
Increasingly high rate of nearsightedness: Nearsightedness, especially severe nearsightedness, is becoming common in young people. People with nearsightedness have a more vulnerable eyeball structure, making the optic nerve sensitive to changes in eye pressure, thereby increasing the risk of glaucoma.
Family genetic factors: If a relative has glaucoma, the risk of the disease will be significantly higher. Genetic factors play an important role, so people with family history need to have regular eye check-ups even when their eyesight is still normal.
The importance of regular eye exams
In a positive aspect, the development of techniques such as optical computed tomography (OCT) and market measurement helps doctors detect glaucoma earlier, before the patient suffers from obvious vision loss. Because the disease progresses silently and has almost no initial symptoms, regular eye exams are still the most effective way to control and slow down the disease.
