Self-reported health status of patients with glaucoma

Background. Glaucoma, according to the WHO, is the second cause of blindness after cataract and is an ocular disease with the greatest increase in incidence with age. Each year due to glaucoma about 2.4 million people lose eyesight. The most common form of glaucoma in the world and Poland is open angle glaucoma (POAG). In Poland, glaucoma affect more than 800 thousand people, probably 10% of patients are not aware of it. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess health status and identify the most common somatic complaints among glaucoma patients. Material and methods. The authors used a questionnaire of their own design to interview 103 patients receiving treatment in an ophthalmology outpatient clinic. Women constituted 68.9% (71) and men 31.1% (32). The mean age of women was 66.9 +/- 11.55, and men -60.46 +/- 9.85. Men suffered from glaucoma for a longer time than women: 12.93 +/- 7.35 vs. 9.95 +/- 7.10. Glaucoma coexisted mostly with hypertension (65%, 67), other cardiovascular diseases (72.81%, 75) and diabetes (24.3%, 25). Results. Health status was assessed as average by 55.34% (57) of the surveyed (more women than men: 61.97% (44) vs. 40.63% (13). Health status was assessed as lower by patients over 65 years of age (H = 17.64; p = 0.0001). A medical examination confirmed the deterioration in vision in 45.10% (46) of the patients, the majority of whom were women (H = 10.94; p = 0.004). Somatic complaints experienced most frequently were headaches (35%, 36), painful eyeballs (31.1%, 32), and watering of the eyes (17.5%, 18). Limitation in everyday activities was mostly reported by women (H = 7.21; p = 0.02) and patients over 65 years of age (H = 26.64; p = 0.0001). In 92.2% (95) of cases, it referred to activities involving physical effort, and in 37.80% (39) - activities associated with personal hygiene. The necessity of using others' help was mentioned by 30.1% (31), those who visited an ophthalmologist regularly constituted 4.9% (5). Conclusions. Health status, limitations in everyday functioning, and using other people's help are associated with age and gender of glaucoma patients. Patients need support concerning regular eye check-ups and self-care in chronic diseases coexisting with glaucoma.