New Delhi: If you are a 40 plus Indian and suffer from eye ailments, there is a high risk that you are heading toward a life of darkness.

A study by India’s leading medical institute has shown that every eighth person in India above the age of 40 is suffering from glaucoma or is at a high risk of developing it.

Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve and gets worse over time. It’s often associated with a buildup of pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma tends to be inherited and may not show up until later in life.

“It is a progressive eye disease causing irreversible visual loss, usually without warning until relatively advanced,” says Vinay Gupta, additional professor at Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences.

The center is associated with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Newer and better medication, safer surgery and early treatment can stabilize the glaucoma vision loss and prevent blindness, Gupta said Wednesday while speaking at a public lecture at AIIMS in connection with the ongoing World Glaucoma week March 8-14.

AIIMS doctor term glaucoma as the most common cause of irreversible blindness. Nearly 50 percent of people in India do not know they have glaucoma as it is generally asymptomatic and regular eye examination is not practiced.

According to AIIMS, India has more than 12 million people suffering from glaucoma, The Times of India reported.

Outlining some of the early symptoms, the doctors suggested that people suffering from chronic headache, having difficulty in performing everyday tasks in dim light, bumping into objects or having redness of the eyes should get themselves checked up for glaucoma.

Ophthalmology professor Ramanjit Sihota said frequently other eye diseases can lead to glaucoma, such as injury to the eye, healed corneal ulcers, and diabetic retinal disease.

“Physicians should be aware that the long-term use of steroids in allergies and chronic disease — such as inhalers or tablets for asthma or skin ointment and especially steroids drops used for allergic conjunctivitis — can lead to glaucoma and unnecessary visual loss,” she said.

“Patients on steroid should be counseled to have regular eye checkup.”