Santen and the International Glaucoma Association create unique ‘eye test challenge’ for World Glaucoma Week 2019
Santen and the International Glaucoma Association (IGA) have joined forces to create a unique interactive 'eye test' to demonstrate what the world looks like to people living with glaucoma. The test is part of a joint campaign to raise awareness of the eye condition among younger first-degree relatives of older people most likely to develop glaucoma.
The test has been shared via the IGA's social channels (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and on their website to mark World Glaucoma Week, 10-16 March 2019. The resource consists of a series of intriguing questions where images are shown that simulate missing objects and cloudy vision which are the hallmark of glaucoma, and leads to more information about glaucoma. To try this challenge out for yourself – click the image or this link.
If left untreated glaucoma can lead to serious loss of vision, with up to 40 per cent of sight being permanently lost before the effects are noticed by the individual. Once sight is lost it cannot be recovered. Glaucoma is the most common cause of preventable blindness. Many people are unaware that glaucoma has no symptoms in the early stages, so regular eye health checks (every two years, or every 1-2 years for over 40s, especially where there is a family history of glaucoma) are really important to detect the condition. Early diagnosis and regular treatment, usually with eye drops, can preserve vision and enable people to carry on with their lives.
Commenting on the initiative, Karen Osborn, CEO of the IGA said: "We're delighted to be partnering with Santen in creating this unique quiz to raise awareness of glaucoma among a younger audience. By reaching people via their social channels in a visually impactful way, we hope to create a lasting impression of what glaucoma sight loss looks like, so they can be aware of early symptoms among older relatives and can encourage regular eye checks to pick up the condition early."
Paul Campbell, Marketing Manager at Santen said, "As a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to ophthalmology, Santen is committed to the protection of eyesight and the health of patients. We are proud to be partnering with the International Glaucoma Association on this awareness-raising initiative. Glaucoma can result in sight loss if it isn't diagnosed and treated early and consistently, so this interactive 'eye test' is an innovative way to engage and educate people on the importance of regular eye checks and the potential impact of the disease."
