Dive Desk is pleased to sponsor the dive event for creating awareness of the potentially blinding disease glaucoma during the World Glaucoma Awareness Week 2017, organized by Maldicare Clinic with media coverage provided by RaajeTV. Maldicare will provide free testing for glaucoma at their clinic for the day. The World Glaucoma Week is marked globally from 12-18 March every year.
A dive event to mark this year's World Glaucoma Week in Maldives is the brainchild of MaldiCares' visiting consultant ophthalmologist Dr. Devin Prabhakar, who has also done PADI Open Water Diver Course with Dive Desk. As part of the World Glaucoma Week, the doctor will do eye checkup and dental screening for air pocket issues for participating divers, free at Maldicare Clinic.
Glaucoma is commonly detected by measuring the pressure in the eye. When eye pressure increases the optic nerve gradually becomes damaged. If left unchecked, this can result in serious vision loss. High eye pressure may exist without noticeable symptoms so many people do not even know that they have the disease. When symptoms do become noticeable, it's usually very late and significant loss of vision would have occurred. It is estimated that 4.5 million persons globally are blind due to glaucoma and that this number will rise to 11.2 million by 2020.
Glaucoma is called the silent killer of sight as it has no warning symptoms. Scuba diving is all about taking safety measures to ensure a perfect dive and an amazing experience. Diving is awesome if your vision is clear. Check eyes yearly to see clearly.
Various different types of activities are done during the World Glaucoma Week across the world. Dive Desk is proud to play a key role in the first-ever dive event for World Glaucoma Week to raise awareness about glaucoma, encourage screening, boost public education and urge people to get tested.