In news that may be of interest to Britons seeking independent living advice, Ian Murdoch, glaucoma specialist for Moorfields Eye Hospital, said that the disease becomes more prevalent as people get older.
He explained that because of this it was important to prevent the damage being done because once it happened there was no way to reverse it.
Meanwhile, television presenter Gloria Hunniford noted that she found it quite frightening that an individual could lose up to 40 per cent of their sight without realising that they were suffering from glaucoma.
"The mere fact that this is treatable, makes me think, 'why dont we all go and have an eye test more regularly' because the only way you are going to find out if you have glaucoma is if you have your eyes tested," she added.
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve.
If left untreated, the condition leads to gradual loss of sight and can eventually lead to complete blindness.
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