This Month is National Glaucoma Awareness Month
As this month has been designated National Glaucoma Awareness Month, this post is intended to emphasize the importance of knowing about the threat of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of progressive ocular diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve, which can be a precursor to loss of central vision and eventual blindness. When not treated, the damage often initially causes peripheral vision loss and then moves to total blindness. Glaucoma is thought to be the number one reason for avoidable blindness and statistics show that over sixty million individuals around the world have it.
The leading source of glaucoma is considered to be increased pressure in the eye called intraocular pressure. As the pressure increases, this causes damage to the optic nerve which transmits signals from the eye to the brain. In instances where this system doesn't function properly, vision is impaired. At the current time, optic nerve damage is typically permanent.
Glaucoma is especially threatening because unlike other forms of vision loss, there are no symptoms until vision is already lost.
This is why glaucoma is known as the "sneak thief of sight." This may leave you asking: how is it possible to protect yourself against a disease which has no obvious symptoms?
Early diagnosis of glaucoma is very important to effective care. While everyone may be at risk for glaucoma, particular groups are at higher risk than others. Serious risk factors for glaucoma can include anyone over 45, those having a family history of glaucoma, a predisposition to diabetes, or known eye problems such as elevated intraocular pressure.
There are many different classes of glaucoma such as open or close angle glaucomas. The condition usually affects both eyes, however the disease has been known to advance more quickly in one eye than in the other.
An effective way to detect glaucoma is to speak to an optometrist. There are a series of diagnostic eye examinations relied on by doctors to assess the beginnings of glaucoma. Especially if you are 45 or older or have one of the other risk factors named above, make sure to plan for a comprehensive eye examination annually.
It is unfortunate that for the most part glaucoma cannot be prevented. Nevertheless the optic nerve damage and loss of vision can be slowed by timely diagnosis and treatment. Don't delay! Contact Eye Desire Eyecare and Optical Boutique today, for a yearly glaucoma screening.
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