National Glaucoma Awareness Month
As January has been designated National Glaucoma Awareness Month, this post is intended to stress the importance of recognizing the threat of this vision threatening disease. Glaucoma is a group of progressive eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which may be a precursor to blindness. If not treated, the disease often first shows up as vision loss in the periphery of the visual field and then moves to total blindness. It is the leading cause of avoidable loss of vision and an estimated 60 million people worldwide have it.
A contributing cause of glaucoma is thought to be an increase in pressure in the eye called intraocular pressure. As pressure around the eye increases, this damages the optic nerve which transports messages from the eye to the brain. In instances where this system is damaged eyesight is affected. At the current time, damage to the optic nerve is usually irreversible.
Glaucoma is particularly threatening because distinct from other causes of vision impairment, there are no symptoms that indicate the progression of the condition until vision is already lost.
This is why glaucoma is often called the "sneak thief of sight." The question is how can one protect oneself against a disease which is asymptomatic?
Prompt detection of the disease is required for successful treatment. Although glaucoma risk is universal, specific groups have a higher risk than others. Risk factors for glaucoma may include adults over 45 years old, anyone having a family history of glaucoma, individuals with a predisposition towards diabetes, or other eye conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, eye injuries or elevated intraocular pressure.
There are many different kinds of glaucoma such as open or close angle glaucomas. As a rule of thumb, both eyes are affected, although the disease may advance more rapidly in one eye than in the other.
To learn more about glaucoma speak to your eye doctor. There are a series of diagnostic eye examinations employed to measure the beginnings of glaucoma. Especially if you are over 45 or have one of the other risk factors named above, make sure to plan for a routine eye examination annually.
It is unfortunate that for the most part glaucoma cannot be prevented. However the damage to the optic nerve and deterioration of vision can be stopped by a reliable diagnosis and treatment. Don't delay! Contact Highline Vision Center today, for an annual glaucoma screening.
