Glaucoma Blindness Paradox
According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, 5% of those diagnosed with glaucoma will go blind, which means 95% will not go blind. Another way to state it: blindness from glaucoma is relatively rare.
How can one say blindness from glaucoma is rare on the one hand but on the other hand is the leading cause (or one of the leading causes) of blindness?
blindness
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According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, 5% of those diagnosed with glaucoma will go blind.
My understanding is that this figure represents treated glaucoma patients. First, they are diagnosed, as your quote specifies. The majority of those diagnosed in the developed world are treated. And treatment can dramatically reduce the progression to blindness.
How can one say blindness from glaucoma is rare on the one hand but on the other hand is the leading cause (or one of the leading causes) of blindness?
Worldwide, a lot of glaucoma cases are not diagnosed. And many people around the world do not receive adequate treatment for glaucoma. It is either not available or not affordable.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Hello,
Yes loss of vision can have many other reasons of loss in vision other than claiming glaucoma as the one because it differs from person to person but leaving glaucoma untreated can have the chances of a patient loose his vision in a progressive period however again it depend on per individual how glaucoma reacts for an individual. It always important to have a on going treatment for keeping your eyes healthy and safe.
Hope this helps!
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This exchange made me hungry for links :-)
GRF's page "Will I go blind?" says
And:
Note, with a diagnosis. And if it's in developed countries, chances are that's with treatment.
BUT note the confounding qualifier:
In other words, 5% of diagnosed glaucoma patients go blind, but glaucoma per se isn't always the cause of the blindness. (A relative of mine has mild glaucoma but her macular degeneration is a much bigger problem for her.)
There's also this, re what qualifies as "blindness" [20/200 or only 20 degrees of peripheral vision]:
It's a stimulating discussion!