An eye for an eye

BANGALORE: Bangalore Ophthalmic Society and Glaucoma Society of India organised Walk for Glaucoma, a walkathon from Freedom Park to Gandhi statue at MG Road on March 11 between 8 am and 9 am.The walkathon was aimed at spreading awareness among public about effects of Glaucoma. Flagging off the walkathon, City Police Commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji, said “Glaucoma is a silent thief of sight.Glaucoma Week is aimed at spreading awareness about the disease so that we can fight glaucoma and not let it darken your life. This kind of awareness has to reach all corners of the country, especially the villages” he said. Cine artist Shivarajkumar said, “Glaucoma, a silent killer of sight, has no warning symptoms. Only regular eye examination by an ophthalmologist can detect the condition and prevent further damage.So let’s wake up and join our hands together to fight against glaucoma.” Echoing similar sentiments Dr K Bhujang Shetty, President of Bangalore Ophthalmic Society and CMD, Narayana Nethralaya said, “Glaucoma can affect any age group, including newborn, infants, children and elderly.Blindness from glaucoma is irreversible. Early detection is the key to preserving vision. Glaucoma is the largest cause of bilateral blindness, second only to the cataract. Every year we screen many patients on World Glaucoma Week to help them diagnose it early.” “This year too we plan to have free screening for the whole week especially for family members of glaucoma patients as the chances of glaucoma amongst immediate relatives are much higher than the normal population,” he further added