Trust supporting its glaucoma patients through clinics and annual forum
Glaucoma is a long-term condition – and our Trust supports our glaucoma patients all the way.
For the 12th annual Glaucoma Patient/User Forum at Hillingdon Hospital, there was a busy programme of advice, guidance and information backed up with plenty of friendly support and fellowship for patients, no matter what stage of their treatment.
Glaucoma is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.
- it's usually caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eye, which increases pressure inside the eye
- glaucoma can lead to loss of vision if it's not diagnosed and treated early
- it can affect people of all ages but is most common in adults in their 70s and 80s.
You can discover more about it here. However, the most important advice is to see your optician regularly and ensure you have regular eye examinations, which will detect any signs of glaucoma early.
The forum is for any patient being treated for glaucoma at either of our two hospitals, where we hold clinics several times a week, complemented by clinics in the community, held in Northwood and Hillingdon. The event was supported by the charities Glaucoma UK and the RNIB.
Two Trust consultants and a specialist nurse were on hand to talk about the importance of glaucoma examinations, treatment options and to answer any questions patients had.
A representative of Glaucoma UK spoke about how to live well with glaucoma. The charity’s helpline is 01233 648170 or email helpline@glaucoma.co.uk if you need further information or advice.
After the forum, patients were able to browse a selection of information leaflets, devices and the latest technology and take away free products such as eye drops.