Glaucoma Australia highlights the potentially life threatening dangers of driving with glaucoma
Tuesday March 8
World Glaucoma Week Raising Awareness of the Importance of Eye Testing
GLAUCOMA sufferers are up to four times more likely to have a car accident than the average Australian, research has foundi,ii,iii,iv. To coincide with this year's World Glaucoma Week (March 6-12), Glaucoma Australia is educating Australians about the significant impact this disease has on driving.
According to Glaucoma Australia, of the 300,000 Australians suffering from glaucoma, 50 per cent remain undiagnosedv. Beverley Lindsell, National Executive Officer, Glaucoma Australia believes glaucoma can impact an individual's ability to perform everyday tasks such as driving.
"Glaucoma is the second leading worldwide cause of irreversible blindnessvi. Known as the 'silent thief of sight', glaucoma, if neglected, is a devastating condition that robs individuals of their quality of life. Activities like driving, locating items, walking on stairs and recognising faces can be difficult for glaucoma patients to manage," said Ms Lindsell.
Research that investigated the on-road driving performance of patients with glaucoma which included interventions to prevent unsafe situations found that patients with glaucoma were six times more likely than those with normal vision to have an instructor intervene. This was primarily due to difficulty detecting peripheral obstacles and hazards and reaction to unexpected events.vii
Dr. Paul Healey, Glaucoma Specialist and Asia-Pacific Coordinator for World Glaucoma Week, says, "Drivers with glaucoma have reduced peripheral vision which may prevent them from seeing cars close to them when pulling in or out of traffic, or when overtaking. Side vision loss, sensitivity to lights such as sunlight or headlight glare, blurred vision and an increase in near-miss crashes are all warning signals that should prompt the individual to seek professional help to evaluate their ability to drive responsibly."
Research confirms that glaucoma heightens the risk of involvement in motor vehicle collisions. Studies estimate that the risk of involvement in a traffic accident increases between 1.7 to 3.6 timesviii,ix,x,xi representing a major cause of injury, hospitalisation or death.
Motoring expert Ian Luff, Founder of 'Drive to Survive', a driver education program, and Ambassador of the World Glaucoma Week 2011, believes driving a motor vehicle requires precise judgement and actions.
"With four decades of experience in post-licence driver education and training, I believe peripheral or side vision used effectively increases a driver's level of awareness. Having effective vision provides a driver with the ability to anticipate what is happening around them. Alcohol, drugs, fatigue and medical conditions are common causes of accidents and road trauma," states Mr Luff.
Glaucoma Australia is encouraging all Australians during World Glaucoma Week, especially those aged 40 and over or those who have a family history of glaucoma, to have regular eye exams to check for signs of the disease. Primary risk factors for glaucoma include:xii
- Being over 40 years of age
- A family history of glaucoma
- High intraocular pressure
- Marked nearsightedness
- African descent (open-angle glaucoma)
- Asian descent (angle-closure glaucoma)
As glaucoma develops gradually, patients may not be aware that they are suffering from the disease. "Although the effects of glaucoma can be devastating, early detection and treatment can significantly reduce damage to the eyes. Glaucoma causes permanent, irreversible damage to the eyes and for this reason, early detection plays a crucial role in the management of the disease. It is important to be aware of the risk factors and to discuss any concerns with an eye health professional," adds Dr. Healey.
"World Glaucoma Week is an essential educational platform to raise awareness of this devastating disease. I would like to thank Ian Luff for his contribution as this year's Ambassador to highlight much needed awareness of this understated disease," said Ms Lindsell.
"Glaucoma Australia also greatly appreciates the support provided by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists', the Optometrists Association Australia and Pfizer Australia to help further educate the community about of this silent eye condition," added Ms Lindsell.
For further information on glaucoma visit Glaucoma Australia's website - www.glaucoma.org.au
References
i Hu PS, Trumble DA, Foley DJ, Eberhard JW, Wallace RB. Crash risks of older drivers: a panel data analysis. Accid Anal Prev. 1998;30:569-581.
ii Owsley C, McGwin G Jr, Ball K. Vision impairment, eye disease, and injurious motor vehicle crashes in the elderly. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 1998;5:101-113.
iii McGwin G Jr, Xie A, Mays A, et al. Visual field defects and the risk of motor vehicle collisions among patients with glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:4437-4441.
iv Haymes SA, Leblanc RP, Nicolela MT, Chiasson LA, Chauhan BC. Risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions in glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:1149-1155.
v www.glaucoma.org.auvi http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/82/11/feature1104/en/vii Haymes SA, LeBlanc RP, Nicolela MT, Chiasson LA, Chauhan BC. Risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions in glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007;48:1149-1155.
viii Hu PS, Trumble DA, Foley DJ, Eberhard JW, Wallace RB. Crash risks of older drivers: a panel data analysis. Accid Anal Prev. 1998;30:569-581.
ix Owsley C, McGwin G Jr, Ball K. Vision impairment, eye disease, and injurious motor vehicle crashes in the elderly. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 1998;5:101-113.
x McGwin G Jr, Xie A, Mays A, et al. Visual field defects and the risk of motor vehicle collisions among patients with glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:4437-4441.
xi Haymes SA, Leblanc RP, Nicolela MT, Chiasson LA, Chauhan BC. Risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions in glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:1149-1155.
xii Glaucoma Foundation. Who's At Risk? Available at
http://www.glaucomafoundation.org/Risk.htm