Quality of life in glaucoma

Abstract

Rezumat. Conform Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății glaucomul este a patra cauză de oribire la nivel global, iar cea mai frecventă formă a glaucomului în Europa este cel cu unghi deschis. Glaucomul afectează aproximativ 2% din adulții peste 40 de ani și frecvența acestuia crește odată cu vârsta. Pacienții care suferă de glaucom au calitatea vieții joasă, fiind afectate activitățile de zi cu zi. Procesul patologic implică acuitatea vizuală, câmpul vizual și vederea cromatică. Este vital ca acești pacienți să fie urmăriți de medicul oftalmolog pentru a stabili evoluția bolii și severitatea procesului patologic.

The purpose of this study is to identify the implication of blindness for glaucoma patients. According to WHO, glaucoma is the fourth case of global blindness and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is by far the commonest in Europa. Glaucoma affects approximately 2% of adults over 40 and it increases dramatically with age. A patient with glaucoma often has problems with important day activities and for them the burden of blindness is to keep normal vision-quality and life-quality. The disease comes with visual acuity, visual field and color vision loss and the people affected by it, become depressed. The glaucoma patients have always to manage with their doctor the evolution of the disease and the severity of the disease has to be understanded by their family and their close people. The aging of the population will lead to more individuals with glaucoma and each country has to work on a national program to help its citizens affected by this disease. Purpose. To identify implication of blindness for glaucoma patients. Methods and material. According to WHO 2021, glaucoma is the forth cause of global blindness and is the leading cause of irreversible visual loss. By the year 2020 it is estimated that there will be almost 80 million people in the world with open angle glaucoma (POAG) and angle-closure glaucoma. Bilateral blindness from glaucoma is projected to affect 8.4 million individuals worldwide by 2010 and greater than 11 million by 2020. Of the many types of the disease, POAG is by far the commonest in populations of European origin. Glaucoma affects approximately 2% of adults over the age of 40, and disease prevalence increases dramatically with age. There are many implications of burden in glaucoma: for patients, physician, family/friends or society. For glaucoma patient the burden of blindness is to keep a normal vision-quality and, in the same time, life-quality. A patient with glaucoma often has problems with important daily activities such as walking/stair climbing, driving, reading, faces recognition/social relations or even self-treatment with drops, especially when perimetric damage is advanced or when both eyes are affected. Patients with glaucoma will loss visual acuity, visual field, color vision and will be depressed or anxious. For physicians the burden of blindness is in difficulties to inform the patient about diagnosis and to manage together with patient evolution of the disease. Evaluation of glaucomapatientst istimeconsumingg and the management is a challenge – medical/surgical. For family there are difficulties to understand glaucoma evolution, visual/life modification, and to help in socio-professional integration of the patient. For society is a burden of care cost high in glaucoma, and can be measured not only in monetary cost to the healthcare system but also in the diminished quality of life for glaucoma patients. Is a burden of cost for treatment, losssing of job and to support a blind person. Conclusions. The aging of the population worldwide will lead to substantially more individuals with glaucoma in the coming year. The burdened glaucoma, for patients and cost-care, cbe reduce with a National program, also, for glaucoma screening and for socio-professional including of patients.