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Free eye check-ups to mark Glaucoma Week

Ras Al Khaimah - The camp is dedicated to UAE's Year of Giving initiative and focuses on diabetes linked eye diseases.

Taking forward the "Nazar Ayeni" community initiative that has provided eye screening for over 16,000 RAK residents so far and just ahead of the World Glaucoma Week, RAK Hospital conducted a free eye check-up camp on March 11.
The camp is dedicated to UAE's Year of Giving initiative and focuses on diabetes linked eye diseases. It provided free vision tests, tonometry or eye pressure measurement to check for glaucoma (an eye disease that can cause blindness by damaging the nerve in the back of the eye), retinal imaging to find and treat eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration along with a complimentary consultation with the retina specialist.
Diabetes can affect eyes in a number of ways and is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The most serious eye condition related to diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye and is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes.
"Diabetes patients are 20 times more likely to experience vision problems, so preventing the condition is all about managing it. Often the early stages of diabetic retinopathy have no visual symptoms. That is why we recommend everyone with diabetes to have a comprehensive dilated eye examination at least once a year. Symptoms for diabetic retinopathy include blurred vision, discoloured spots or floaters that obscure your sight, reduced night vision and sudden vision loss. Diabetic eye disease also puts patients at risk of developing cataracts and glaucoma," said Dr Mohit Jain, Specialist Ophthalmologist at RAK Hospital.
The Nazar Ayeni ("My Eyesight") CSR mission aims to screen the entire population of Ras Al Khaimah by year 2020 while constantly working on eliminating causes of blindness and vision disorders as a public health problem.
"We want to create awareness about the high incidences of diabetes related eye diseases. Given the soaring prevalence of the disease among UAE residents, I think it's crucial to educate them about the complications and showing them how early detection and intervention can help reverse or slow the process," said Dr Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director of RAK Hospital.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com