Monticello Live

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease.   Glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” since there are no symptoms and once vision is lost, it’s permanent. As much as 40% of vision can be lost without a person noticing.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness, and the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. In the most common form, there are virtually no symptoms. Vision loss begins with peripheral or side vision, so if you have glaucoma, you may not notice anything until significant vision is lost.

Over 4 million Americans, and nearly 70 million people worldwide, have glaucoma. Experts estimate that half of them don’t know they have it.  In the United States, approximately 120,000 are blind from glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

What exactly is Glaucoma?  Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. Although the most common forms primarily affect the middle-aged and the elderly, glaucoma can affect people of all ages.

Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires. It is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain.

Those at higher risk include people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent. Other high-risk groups include: people over 60, family members of those already diagnosed, diabetics, and people who are severely nearsighted. Regular eye exams are especially important for those at higher risk for glaucoma, and may help to prevent unnecessary vision loss.

The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to get a comprehensive eye examination. Then, if you have glaucoma, treatment can begin immediately.  There is no cure for glaucoma. However, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. The appropriate treatment depends upon the type of glaucoma among other factors. Early detection is vital to stopping the progress of the disease.

The Drew HEALTH Coalition meets monthly to develop and implement plans to create healthier communities.  If you are interested in addressing vision health, or other health issues, we invited you to attend our monthly meetings.  For more information contact Karen Brown at 870-367-6234.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2013 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Medical / Hospital. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.