Dr. Kwansema Kizzie Hayford, an optometrist at Salgyin Medical Center says the irreversible nature of one having glaucoma, a disease of the eye has become imperative for individuals to make regular eye screening a priority in their lives.
Speaking on the ATLANTIC WAVE on Tuesday, she said glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve causing vision loss and blindness.
She, therefore, described glaucoma as a thief of sight, which takes one’s sight completely away.
Dr. Kizzie Hayford explained that among other factors, Africans are at high risk of contracting the disease and the disease which is usually unnoticed should compel individuals to regularly screen their eyes.
“There are some people who can get Glaucoma, and then this includes older people, especially people who are above 60 years…There are people who have a family history of Glaucoma. So if you ask and then you hear that, oh, somebody had Glaucoma in your family, you are advised to go and get your eyes checked. One other risk factor is African heritage. So we are all at risk of getting Glaucoma. So far as you are an African. So please, even if you don’t have any symptoms, even if you don’t have any eye conditions or eye problems, just try as much as possible, once a year, walk up to any eye clinic and get your eyes checked” she emphasized.
To this end, she said her facility Salgyin Medical Center in Cape Coast is undertaking a free eye screening during the Glaucoma week, and as such individuals should take advantage of the opportunity to get their eyes screened.
She said “So we are running a one-week screening and it’s for everyone. So you can just walk in any time of the day and then get your eyes checked. So the venue is Salgen Medical Center opposite Wesley Girls High School and the time is from 9:00 am to 04:00 pm”.
As the glaucoma week celebration is being observed across the globe, between the 12th -18th of March on the theme “The World is bright, save your sight” individuals are advised to learn from the awareness being created to protect their eyes against the disease.
The day is observed annually to create awareness about the medical eye condition that affects countless people around the world. This observance aims to prioritize early detection and management of glaucoma, as it remains one of the major causes of blindness all over the world.
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Source: Aba Aikins Appah/ATLFMNEWS
