Glaucoma causes 1.3 lakh Indians to go blind every year: Doctors

Noting that glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the US, he said that India is likely to be the next glaucoma capital of the world.

About its risks, another doctor said that several diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and thyroid diseases are among the reasons that may accelerate to glaucoma.

"A person suffering from myopia or near sightedness and ocular trauma or intra ocular surgery in the past are also among the highly-prone people to suffer from glaucoma, which has 70 percent chances of turning the patient blind if the proper treatment is not taken in time," said Kamal B Kapur, a city-based eye expert.

He explained that there are various types of glaucoma such as chronic or primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), which is the most common form with damage to vision gradual and generally painless.

In the another form, named closed or acute angle-closure glaucoma, the intraocular pressure increases very rapidly due to a sudden and severe block of fluid drainage within the eye. Significant symptoms appear immediately.

"This condition has to be treated quickly by an ophthalmologist otherwise blindness may occur," said Kapur.