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Asian Eye Institute on Early Detection of Glaucoma

March 13, 2010

Sometimes, I think I’m not really a Filipino. Aside from the fact that my maiden last name is Adams, I also tend to live in my own world and I seldom practice Filipino values. But when it involves my family, somehow, the Filipino in me comes out. Take for instance being responsible for my aging parents. In our culture, we Filipinos tend to practice taking care of them rather than bringing them to an elderly home. Embracing this idea is a sign of love and gratitude for those many years that they have taken care of us, their children. Another way we can  show our gratitude to them is to help them detect early signs of certain illnesses, like perhaps help them detect early signs of galucoma. How do I do this? 


I have learned that  Glaucoma, is a a group of eye conditions, which are marked by  optic nerve damage and loss of field of vision. My mom is nearsighted, while my dad is a smoker, and his family has a history of diabetes. According to medical research, people who have a history of diabetes,  high nearsightedness or farsightedness, hypertension, eye accidents, family history of blindness, steroid use, history of blood transfusion, and are smokers have a high risk for contracting glaucoma. These kinds of people should see an eye specialist as soon as possible, then yearly thereafter. If glaucoma is left unchecked, it can lead to blindness. Early detection is the key to keep this from happening.


At Asian Eye Institute, they promote early detection of glaucoma. As advised by Dr. Edgar Leuenberger, glaucoma specialist of the Asian Eye Institute (AEI), we should bring our parents, or any family member, to go see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible in case they start experiencing headaches or nausea  while watching TV or movies, after reading, or difficulty in navigating stairs; if they begin to see halos around lights, or frequently bump into things. All these this could be an early symptom of glaucoma. In the case of my mom, even if she is using progressive lenses or corrective glasses, if she starts getting clumsy, or having difficulty estimating distances, or if there is dimming in her vision, I should immediately bring her to the doctor for glaucoma treatment.

It’s always better to detect it early, but,  if it’s too late for early detection, then it’s always better to be late than sorry. Asian Eye Institute is the best when it comes to any form of eye treatment so we know we’d be in good hands. You will be too.

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