Excerpt:
Muslim glaucoma patients have been warned not to stop taking eye drop medication during Ramadan – as stopping drops even for a short period of time can cause permanent loss of vision.
Hospital reports and calls to the International Glaucoma Association (IGA) helpline have indicated that some Muslims cease using their eye drops during Ramadan, believing that using the eye drops will break their fast.
Even more worrying is that many of these patients then stop using the drops completely when they do not perceive any change to their sight.
This will not be apparent to the individual until significant sight loss has occurred.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged, usually by excessive pressure within the eye.