Glaucoma Awareness Month
Help Raise Awareness about Glaucoma
Talk to your friends and family about glaucoma and the importance of regular comprehensive eye exams. If you have glaucoma, let your family members know as it’s important for their eye doctors to know about the family history associated with the disease.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without any warning. Although the most common types of glaucoma primarily affect people who are middle-aged and the elderly, it can affect people of all ages. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve acts like an electrical cable with over a million wires and is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain. There’s no cure yet for glaucoma, but with medication or surgery, further vision loss can be prevented.
Types of Glaucoma
There are two main types of glaucoma – primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. These are marked by an increase in intraocular pressure, or the pressure inside of the eye. When optic nerve damage occurs despite normal eye pressure, this is known as normal tension glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma refers to any case in which another disease contributes or causes increased pressure, which then results in optic nerve damage and consequently vision loss.
Facts about Glaucoma
Individuals at higher risk of developing glaucoma include people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent. Other high-risk groups include people over 60, family members of those already diagnosed with the disease, people with diabetes, and individuals who are severely nearsighted. Comprehensive eye exams are especially important for those at a higher risk for the disease and may help to prevent any unnecessary vision loss.
