Dr Shibal Bhartiya is an invited speaker at national and international ophthalmology platforms, with appearances spanning the Glaucoma Society of India, the All India Ophthalmological Society, academic CME programmes, and public media. Below are some selected videos, talks, media and appearances.
Her work sits at the intersection of clinical glaucoma care, research, and systems-level thinking in early detection, risk, and continuity of care.
A conversation on resilience, social impact, and building Vision Unlimited.
FAQs
Who is a glaucoma specialist in Gurgaon? A glaucoma specialist is an ophthalmologist trained in diagnosing and managing glaucoma, focusing on early detection, pressure control, and long-term vision preservation.
Where can I find a glaucoma expert in India? Glaucoma experts are available in major cities like Gurgaon, Delhi, and Mumbai, with specialised clinics offering advanced diagnostics and second opinions.
What does a glaucoma specialist do? A glaucoma specialist evaluates optic nerve health, visual fields, and eye pressure to detect disease early and prevent irreversible vision loss.
When should I see a glaucoma specialist? You should consult a glaucoma specialist if you have high eye pressure, family history, vision changes, or are above 40 years of age.
Why are glaucoma talks and awareness important? Glaucoma often has no early symptoms. Public awareness and expert talks help promote early detection and prevent blindness.
Credentials & Professional Profile
Dr Shibal Bhartiya is a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and Mayo Clinic Research Collaborator with over 25 years of experience.
She is Editor-in-Chief of Clinical and Experimental Vision and Eye Research (CLEVER) and Executive Editor of the Journal of Current Glaucoma Practice (JCGP).
Her academic work includes over 200 publications, 90+ PubMed-indexed papers, and 28 edited textbooks.
She has published peer-reviewed research on glaucoma management, examining how treatment decisions should balance medical evidence, patient preferences, and long-term vision outcomes. Her clinical philosophy emphasises early detection, risk-based care, ethical decision-making, and independent second opinions.
Dr Shibal Bhartiya is a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and Mayo Clinic Research Collaborator with over 25 years of experience. Her approach focuses on identifying risk before damage is irreversible, simplifying treatment decisions, and protecting vision long-term. Emphasis on early detection, risk assessment, and continuity of care. She is rated 5 stars across 1,500+ patient reviews on Google.
Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight for a reason. Most patients feel nothing until the damage is severe. That silence is exactly what makes certain habits so dangerous. These five mistakes are not careless choices. They are logical responses to a disease that gives no pain, no blur, and no warning. Understanding why each mistake happens is the first step to avoiding it.
5 Mistakes Glaucoma Patients Commonly Make
Mistake 1: Stopping Eye Drops When Vision Feels Fine
What patients do: They use drops for a few weeks, vision feels unchanged, and the drops get quietly abandoned. Life gets busy. The bottle runs out. It feels pointless to medicate something that causes no symptoms.
What doctors often miss saying: Patients are rarely told that the goal of treatment is preservation, not improvement. When that is not explained clearly, stopping drops feels like a rational choice.
Real-world picture: Studies show that over 50% of glaucoma patients have poor drop adherence within one year of diagnosis. Many do not tell their doctor. Pressure readings at clinic visits look normal because patients resume drops a few days before their appointment.
Mistake 2: Skipping Follow-Up Appointments
What patients do: They feel well, work is busy, travel is expensive, and the appointment gets pushed by a month, then three months, then indefinitely.
What doctors often miss saying: The frequency of follow-up is not arbitrary. It is calibrated to the rate of progression risk. Missing two visits in a year can mean missing a window to escalate treatment before irreversible loss occurs.
Real-world picture: A patient who feels fine and delays follow-up for six months may arrive to find their visual field has worsened by a measurable step. That step cannot be reversed.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Family History as a Personal Risk Signal
Why this is dangerous: A first-degree family history of glaucoma increases personal risk by four to nine times. Glaucoma runs in families and often presents a decade earlier in the next generation. Waiting for symptoms means waiting until 30 to 40 percent of nerve fibres are already gone.
What doctors often miss saying: Screening is not just for people who already have symptoms. It is most valuable precisely when there are no symptoms yet.
Real-world picture: Many patients present to a glaucoma clinic only after a family member goes blind. By that point their own disease is already moderate or advanced.
Mistake 4: Managing Side Effects Silently Instead of Telling the Doctor
Why this is dangerous: Side effects are one of the most common reasons for treatment failure. Patients who stop drops due to side effects but do not report it appear adherent on their records. Pressure goes uncontrolled. The doctor has no reason to switch the formulation or try a preservative-free option.
What doctors often miss saying: There are multiple drop classes, combination formulations, and preservative-free alternatives. No patient needs to tolerate a drop that makes their eyes miserable. Laser treatment is also a first-line option that removes the drop burden entirely for many patients.
Real-world picture: A switch from a preserved to a preservative-free prostaglandin analogue resolves surface irritation in most patients within four to six weeks. Many patients never knew this option existed.
Mistake 5: Believing Normal Eye Pressure Means No Glaucoma Risk
What patients do: They have an eye check, are told pressure is normal, and conclude they do not have glaucoma and never will.
Why this is dangerous: Normal tension glaucoma is a well-documented condition in which nerve damage progresses despite intraocular pressure within the statistically normal range. In South Asian and East Asian populations this pattern is particularly common. Additionally, what is normal for the population may not be safe for a specific individual nerve.
Real-world picture: Normal tension glaucoma accounts for a significant proportion of glaucoma in India. Patients with a normal pressure reading and a cupped nerve need full evaluation, not reassurance.
What This Table Shows You
Mistake
What Patients Believe
The Clinical Reality
Stopping drops
Vision is stable so drops are not needed
Drops preserve nerve, not vision
Missing follow-up
No symptoms means no progression
Progression is invisible without testing
Ignoring family history
Symptoms will warn them in time
Risk is high and silent from the start
Tolerating side effects
This is how treatment always feels
Alternatives exist; tell your doctor
Trusting normal pressure
Normal IOP means no glaucoma
Normal tension glaucoma is common in India
When to Worry
Seek an urgent glaucoma review if you notice any of the following. Sudden eye pain or headache with blurred vision and halos around lights. A family member has been recently diagnosed with glaucoma. Your vision seems to have narrowed or you are missing objects at the side. You have been using drops irregularly for more than one month. You have not had an optic nerve assessment in over a year.
What This Means for You
Glaucoma is manageable. Most patients who lose vision do so not because treatment failed but because the disease was caught late, treatment was abandoned, or follow-up was missed. None of these are irreversible situations if caught in time. The single most protective thing you can do is stay engaged with your care even when everything feels normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can glaucoma get worse even if I use my drops every day?
How often should a glaucoma patient see their doctor?
Most stable patients need review every three to six months. Patients with active progression or recent treatment changes may need monthly visits. Your doctor will set the schedule based on your specific risk.
Is glaucoma hereditary and should my children be tested?
Yes, glaucoma has a strong hereditary component. First-degree relatives of a glaucoma patient should have a full eye examination including optic nerve assessment from the age of 35, or earlier if they have other risk factors.
What should I do if my eye drops are causing side effects?
Tell your doctor at the next visit and do not stop drops without guidance. There are multiple formulations, preservative-free options, and laser alternatives that may suit you better. Side effects are a solvable problem.
Does normal eye pressure rule out glaucoma?
No. Normal tension glaucoma is well recognised and common in Indian patients. A complete glaucoma evaluation includes optic nerve examination and imaging, not pressure measurement alone.
Speak to a Glaucoma Specialist
If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma and are unsure whether your treatment is working, or if you have a family history and have never had a full nerve assessment, a second opinion is always appropriate. Early course correction protects what cannot be recovered.
📍 Dr Shibal Bhartiya — Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram
She has published peer-reviewed research on glaucoma management, examining how treatment decisions should balance medical evidence, patient preferences, and long-term vision outcomes.
doctors recommend all aerobic exercises, including swimming. However, there are some precautions that glaucoma patients must be aware of when swimming.
