Hospiten Roca in Gran Canaria is organizing two open-doors days to carry out glaucoma tests free of charge for people over 50, as part of their corporate social responsibility plan on the occasion of World Glaucoma Day, which aims to make the public more aware of prevention of glaucoma.
The tests will take place on March 18 and April 1, between 09.00 and 13.00 at Hospiten Roca. Glaucoma testing is carried out in ophthalmology, where the patient’s sight and intraocular pressure are measured and the front and back of the eye are examined.
Glaucoma is a very common eye condition affecting the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. The main cause of the condition is an increase in Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and if it is not detected in time, it can cause loss of sight. Symptoms start with a loss of peripheral sight and progresses inwards to the center of the field of vision. In many cases, the disease is detected in very advanced stages, which is why it is so important to have regular checks.
At present, it is estimated there are 60 million people in the world affected by glaucoma. The disease is the first cause of irreversible blindness in the world, and second only to cataracts in all forms of blindness. Anyone can suffer from the disease and at any age, although it is more common from 50 years of age on. Some risk factors should also be taken into account, like a family history of glaucoma. Furthermore, the probabilities of developing the disease are higher in people with diabetics, high myopia or hyperopia or who have suffered eye trauma, and in African and Asian ethnic groups.
The usual treatment in a glaucoma diagnosis is to conduct specific tests to confirm the diagnosis and regular checks to monitor the evolution of the disease, in addition to following a treatment that will depend on the type of glaucoma. Although the most common method is the use of eye drops, laser or surgical treatment may be used if necessary.
There is no cure for glaucoma and you cannot recover sight already lost. However, in most cases enough sight can be conserved to lead a normal life, as long as the prescribed treatment is followed correctly. Glaucoma is so common that it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 76 million people affected by the disease and by 2040 that number will reach 111 million.
To prevent this, and other eye diseases, Hospiten recommends a check-up with an ophthalmologist at age 4, followed by routine checks every two years if there no problems with the child’s sight, or every year in the case there are problems.
The Hospiten Group is an international health network committed to providing top quality service, with almost 50 years of experience, and twenty private medical-hospital centers in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica and Panama, and more than one hundred outpatient medical centers, both owned and associated under the brand Clinic Assist. The group is chaired by Dr. Pedro Luis Cobiella and annually attends more than 1,700,000 patients worldwide, and employs a workforce of more than 5,000 people.