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Wednesday 09 Sep 2015 - 14:25 Makkah mean time-25-11-1436
(Image from gorbanclinic)
London, (IINA) - British scientists are developing a new test that could detect glaucoma ten years before symptoms even appear, the test could potentially save the sight of millions of people, Dailymail reported.
The technology, which detects dying nerve cells in the eye, has the potential to identify other neurological conditions at an early stage, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world and it affects 500,000 in Britain alone, though experts warn many more could be undiagnosed.
According to a study on the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, an estimate of 60.5 million people in 2010 had glaucoma.
The test, which is being tested for the first time in humans at the Western Eye Hospital in London, uses a type of fluorescent compound that makes the back of the eye 'glow' if glaucoma is present.
Glaucoma is caused when drainage tubes in the eye become blocked and fluid starts to build up in the eyeball. This leads to high pressure, causing damage to the optic nerve (which carries signals from the eye to the brain) and then irreversible blindness.
However, the condition is largely symptomless and can progress for more than ten years before patients become aware of sight problems, such as a loss in peripheral vision, but once glaucoma is detected by conventional tests, nerve damage may have already occurred, and this new test may help diagnose the condition before any vision loss occurs.
AG/IINA
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