IS GLACOMA HEREDITARY?

Known as the “silent thief of light”, glaucoma, although having no obvious symptoms, can cause irreversible vision loss for the patient. Given the seriousness of the disease, many people with glaucoma are not only worried about their own health but also their family members because they are concerned about the possibility of the disease being inherited. Let's listen to the sharing from Dr. Vu Anh Tuan - a leading expert in the field of glaucoma in Vietnam to better understand the genetics of this disease.

How dangerous is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a term used to refer to a group of diseases that have common characteristics such as nerve damage, loss of visual field, optic disc atrophy and are associated with high intraocular pressure. This is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Researchers estimate that there are about 80 million glaucoma patients in the world, more than 50% of whom do not know they have the disease.

When suffering from glaucoma, the patient's vision will gradually darken from the outside in (gradual loss of visual field) until complete blindness if not treated promptly. Currently, glaucoma treatments (medication, laser, surgery) only aim to limit the progression of the disease to preserve the remaining vision, the treatment process cannot restore the lost visual function. Therefore, early detection and compliance with glaucoma treatment play an important role in protecting the patient's vision.

Is Glaucoma Hereditary?

According to Dr. Vu Anh Tuan - Professional Director of Japan International Eye Hospital - Leading expert in the field of Glaucoma in Vietnam, most primary Glaucoma can be inherited to relatives. Researchers have found the exact genes that cause Glaucoma, most of which are dominant genes located on autosomes, so they can be directly inherited to the next generation. Accordingly, blood relatives of Glaucoma patients have a 4 - 9 times higher risk of getting the disease than normal.

How should relatives of Glaucoma patients protect their eyes?

As a subject at high risk of Glaucoma, blood relatives of Glaucoma patients should take the following eye protection measures:

• Regular screening every 6 months to detect Glaucoma early in the early stages, grasp the "golden time" in treatment.
• When discovering that they have Glaucoma, patients need to follow the treatment regimen from the ophthalmologist. Patients need to prepare mentally to live with Glaucoma, not to abandon treatment because this can cause the disease to progress more severely, leading to the risk of blindness.