Divjyot Kaur

Vision Related Quality of Life in Patients of Glaucoma: Quality of Life in Glaucoma Patients Divjyot Kaur

Glaucoma is a chronic ophthalmic disease characterized by a progressive loss of visual function and a potential to cause an irreversible blindness if not treated at an early stage. Patients of glaucoma need to take lifelong medications in order to keep their intraocular pressure within limits. Disability consequent to the disease, and inconvenience faced with the treatment have an impact on the daily life of patients. Patient reported outcomes therefore, play an important role in judging the impact of an intervention on the patients? physical, mental as well as social well being; in other words, the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). Research in the field of QOL has been done for a number of chronic diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. But studies assessing QOL of glaucoma patients are limited. This work intends to evaluate the impact of glaucoma and its treatment with topical anti-glaucoma drugs on the vision-related QOL of patients of primary open angle glaucoma and those with ocular hypertension.