Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Health A-Z
  • Diabetes
  • Diseases
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Heart Attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Diet & Fitness
    • Weight Management
    • Exercise & Body Building
    • Diet & Recipes
    • Yoga
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Pregnancy
    • Conceiving
    • Infertility
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Names
  • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Hair
    • Grooming
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home / Diseases-conditions / Glaucoma / Monitoring glaucoma at home may be a possibility soon

Monitoring glaucoma at home may be a possibility soon

A new study suggests that, in the future, glaucoma eye tests could be performed at home. This will go a long way in tracking progression of the disease.

By: Jahnavi Sarma   | | Published: November 28, 2020 3:46 pm
Tags: Blindness  Eye test  Glaucoma treatment  Vision loss  
glaucoma, glaucoma test, vision loss, eye disease, eye health
. At present, glaucoma test require regular hospital visits and use expensive, specialist equipment. @Shutterstock

Glaucoma, a chronic condition that affects the cells at the back of the eye, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness across the world. According to eye specialists, it is responsible for 1 in 10 cases of serious sight impairment in the UK. People who have glaucoma, or at risk of developing the degenerative condition, need lifelong monitoring. They have to go in for regular eye tests, twice yearly, for life to track the progression of the disease. This is essential to prevent blindness. At present, these examinations require regular hospital visits and use expensive, specialist equipment. Now a new study suggests that glaucoma eye tests can be performed accurately at home by patients themselves. Also Read - New AI test can diagnose glaucoma at an early stage: Things you need to know about this eye disease

Visiting a clinic for tests not always feasible

But it is not always possible for many patients to regularly visit hospitals and clinics for various reasons. It is especially problematic for the elderly and those with some chronic ailments. Aging populations make this hospital-only model of patient-management unsustainable, and many clinics are already overstretched, with appointments routinely delayed or cancelled. In the UK today, around 20 people a month are going blind as a result of this appointment backlog. Also Read - Found : Treatment for blindness causing syndrome



COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse

This situation has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, since the inability to sanitise equipment between use has led to all routine sight assessments being suspended in the UK. The long-term effects of this are unknown, but experts suggest that further increases in appointment delays and avoidable blindness appear inevitable. Also Read - Optic nerve stimulation can offer visual aid to blind

Monthly tests essential to track aggressive forms of glaucoma

Even if routine assessments are ever fully resumed, it is also thought that the current system of annual hospital visits is insufficient to track the most aggressive forms of glaucoma. Multiple studies have already suggested that more frequent (e.g., monthly) glaucoma eye tests could substantially improve clinical outcomes: allowing high risk patients to be treated sooner and more appropriately. A new study from City, University of London adds to a body of evidence suggesting that the solution to all these problems may lie in home-monitoring. The research involved 20 NHS glaucoma patients from across England and Wales who were provided with a prototype, tablet-based eye test (‘Eyecatcher’) for six months. Using the device, they were asked to run the home glaucoma eye test themselves, testing each of their eyes once a month.

Simple to use home test to track progression

Similar to conventional eye tests for glaucoma, patients looked at a central cross presented on the device and pressed a button when they saw a flash of light, which appeared at different locations and was of variable intensity. The computer’s front-facing camera also recorded them during the test, and artificial intelligence (AI) was used to perform facial recognition and head-/eye-tracking, to ensure people performed the test correctly. Accuracy was assessed by comparing measurements made at home to conventional ‘gold standard’ assessments performed in clinic at both the start and end of the study. Adherence was quantified as the percentage of tests completed.

Effective and accurate

The study found that 98% of home tests were completed successfully (high adherence), and that the data from the home-monitoring tests were in strong agreement with the gold standard clinical assessments (high accuracy). The use of home-monitoring data was also shown to reduce measurement error when combined with current clinical data (by over 50% in 90% of eyes). This could potentially allow cases of rapid sight loss to be detected months or even years earlier. This is the first study in the world that suggests glaucoma eye tests can be performed accurately at home by patients themselves. Future studies will examine whether home-monitoring is sustainable over longer periods and is capable of detecting rapidly progressing cases of glaucoma.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Published : November 28, 2020 3:46 pm
Read Disclaimer

Don’t ignore mild symptoms of COVID-19: It can suddenly lead to fatal complications

Don’t ignore mild symptoms of COVID-19: It can suddenly lead to fatal complications

Type 2 diabetes: Are you experiencing diarrhea? The lesser-known sign of the condition

Type 2 diabetes: Are you experiencing diarrhea? The lesser-known sign of the condition

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Updates

Stay Informed, Be Safe

  • Covid-19 vaccine alert: Covishield not advised to those allergic to any of its ingredients
  • Almost 30% of recovered COVID-19 patients develop complications within 5 months, over 12% die
  • COVID-19 vaccine side effects: Loss of sensation in arms and more reported by Pune health workers
  • Catastrophic moral failure: WHO warns against unequal COVID-19 vaccine distribution
  • COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 10,571,773 while death toll reaches 1,52,419

Health Calculators

BMI Calculator
bmi Calculator
Ideal Body Weight
ideal body weight
Daily Calorie Intake
Daily calorie intake
Calories Burned
calories burned

Related Stories

New AI test can diagnose glaucoma at an early stage: Things you need to know about this eye disease

New AI test can diagnose glaucoma at an early stage: Things you need to know about this eye disease

Found : Treatment for blindness causing syndrome

Found : Treatment for blindness causing syndrome

Optic nerve stimulation can offer visual aid to blind

Optic nerve stimulation can offer visual aid to blind

Inculcate healthy habits to prevent vision impairment

Inculcate healthy habits to prevent vision impairment

Health News in Hindi

जिद्दी काले धब्बों, पिगमेंटेशन को दूर कर सकता है भाग्यश्री का ये देसी नुस्खा, वीडियो में देखकर सीखें करने का तरीका

Pfizer Vaccine News: ऑस्ट्रेलियाई सरकार ने कहा, 29 बुजुर्गों की मौत के बावजूद देश में कोरोना की रोकथाम के लिए फाइजर वैक्सीन ही लगेगी

Bird Flu: उत्‍तर प्रदेश सरकार ने हटाया पोल्‍ट्री उत्‍पादों से बैन, चिकन-अंडे पर अब नहीं होगी रोक

सर्दी और बुखार में भी लगेगी कोरोना वैक्सीन? जानें कितनी जरूरी है बुखार के मरीजों के लिए वैक्सीन

WHO ने जताई नाराजगी, कहा- “पहले युवाओं को नहीं बल्कि बुजुर्गों को लगनी चाहिए कोरोना वैक्‍सीन”

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Covid-19 vaccine alert: Covishield not advised to those allergic to any of its ingredients
  • Almost 30% of recovered COVID-19 patients develop complications within 5 months, over 12% die
  • Bird flu in India: Natural and Ayurvedic tips to keep yourself safe from avian influenza
  • COVID-19 vaccine side effects: Loss of sensation in arms and more reported by Pune health workers
  • Mitral regurgitation: How advanced technologies provide a glimmer of hope for patients

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Skin Care Tips
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dengue
  • Typhoid
  • Tuberculosis
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya
  • Depression
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Baby Names
  • Cough and cold
  • Heart Attack
  • Breast Cancer
  • Ebola Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Hypotension
  • Heart Failure
  • Asthma
  • Brain Tumour
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Goitre
  • HIV/AIDS

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.