A veteran optometrist with nearly four decades of experience is sounding the alarm over a troubling pattern: men are losing their sight to glaucoma at disproportionately high rates — not because the disease targets them, but because they refuse to get tested.
According to Antigua Observer, Dr. Jillia Bird, who has spent close to 40 years in the field of optometry, has identified male reluctance to seek eye examinations as a critical factor driving preventable vision loss in the country.
Dr. Bird emphasised that glaucoma does not discriminate by gender. The disparity in outcomes, she stressed, is driven entirely by behaviour. Men are far less likely than women to present for routine eye screenings, leaving the disease undetected until significant and often irreversible damage has already occurred.
Glaucoma is a progressive eye condition that damages the optic nerve, frequently without noticeable symptoms in its early stages. By the time vision loss becomes apparent to the patient, the condition may have already advanced considerably, making early detection through regular testing essential.
As reported by Antigua Observer, Dr. Bird is urging men to take their eye health seriously and to schedule regular screenings, noting that timely diagnosis can make the critical difference between preserving sight and losing it permanently.
Her warning serves as a broader call to action for public health awareness around glaucoma — a condition that is manageable when caught early, but devastating when ignored.
