«The vision I have lost cannot be recovered»

Vanesa knew something had changed when she began to notice that she could no longer see as well as before. Over time, the loss of vision became increasingly noticeable, to the point where she had to change habits that had previously been part of her daily routine.

“I understand that the vision I have lost will not come back. In a short period of time, I have lost a lot of vision, and that forces you to change certain things in your daily life,” explains Vanesa, a patient with glaucoma.

She has now stopped riding her motorbike because she no longer feels safe and avoids wearing headphones when walking down the street. “If I don’t hear an ambulance or a car, I don’t have time to react because there is an area where I can no longer see,” she recalls.

In addition to limitations on her mobility, the disease has also affected her personal and professional life.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy, that is, a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain. In most cases, this damage is associated with increased intraocular pressure.

The disease causes progressive loss of side vision (peripheral vision), which initially goes unnoticed. For this reason, many people do not know they have glaucoma until the disease is already advanced.

Vision lost due to glaucoma is irreversible. However, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can slow the progression of the disease and preserve the vision that remains.

A silent disease

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and affects between 2% and 3% of people over the age of 40. However, it is estimated that approximately half of all cases remain undiagnosed because the disease does not cause symptoms in its early stages.

“Glaucoma affects 3 in every 100 people. At first, the symptoms may go unnoticed and appear gradually as the field of vision becomes reduced, which is why it is important to see an ophthalmologist,” explains Dr Néstor Ventura, ophthalmologist at Hospital Clínic Barcelona.

For this reason, regular eye examinations are essential, especially for people with a family history of glaucoma or other risk factors.

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

The only way to diagnose glaucoma is through a comprehensive eye examination. In addition to measuring intraocular pressure, the optic nerve and peripheral vision must be assessed using specific tests such as visual field testing, which is considered one of the most important tools for both diagnosing and monitoring the disease.

“Around 50% of cases are undiagnosed. Early diagnosis is important because treatment is aimed at preserving the vision the patient still has,” explains Dr Néstor Ventura.

These examinations can detect changes before the person becomes aware of any loss of vision.

Adapting to preserve quality of life

Living with glaucoma means learning to adapt to the changes caused by vision loss. Although treatment cannot restore lost vision, it can help prevent the disease from progressing further.

“I’m lucky that it only affects one eye. If it affected both, what I would be saying would be completely different,” reflects Vanesa.

By sharing her experience, she hopes to raise awareness of the importance of not waiting for symptoms to appear before having your eye health checked. Her story is a reminder that glaucoma is a silent disease, but that early diagnosis can make a difference and help preserve vision for many years.

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