Glaucoma
Chronic glaucoma affects two per cent of the population over the age of 40, increasing to over 10 per cent for those aged 75 or older.
There are about 500,000 people in England and Wales with glaucoma, and about 70 million worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of blindness. Unfortunately, there are no symptoms until extensive, irreversible damage to the optic nerve has occurred, resulting in unrecoverable vision loss, and it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of people with glaucoma are undiagnosed.
Frustratingly, needless blindness from glaucoma can be easily averted as it can often be treated with simple eye drops.