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World Glaucoma week comes to an end on Saturday 12 March. FOTOLIA
Raising awareness about the 'silent thief' for World Glaucoma Week

Raising awareness about the 'silent thief' for World Glaucoma Week

It's one of the biggest causes of blindness but many people are unaware of the nature of its gradual onset

LILY FARRANT

COSTA DEL SOL.

Friday, 11 March 2022, 13:11

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World Glaucoma week comes to an end tomorrow, Saturday 12 March. Known as the 'silent thief', glaucoma is one of the biggest causes of blindness in the world, but due to the gradual onset nature of the condition many don't realise they have it. The Specsavers Ópticas group of optical services has been raising awareness by sharing facts and insights about the condition.

Nerea Galdos-Little, from Specsavers Ópticas Marbella, explains that because it is symptomless, it's important to understand what the condition actually is, and to test for it regularly. "Glaucoma occurs when naturally occurring fluid inside the eye does not drain properly, causing a build-up of pressure."

Lifestyle contributes to eye health. Caffeine can raise eye pressure, while exercise can lower it. Smoking can cause a plethora of complications.

Glaucoma strikes earlier and progresses faster in men and women of black-African or black-Caribbean origin and the expert added that it occurs about five times more often. Nerea says."Those who have higher levels of short sightedness are also more at risk. Your age also plays a big part. Two in every 100 people over the age of 40 are affected by the condition."

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