January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month
Produced by the New Jersey Society of Optometric
Physicians
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Four Must-Know Facts about Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness
• Glaucoma is not preventable or curable but it is
  treatable
• Everyone is at risk for glaucoma
• Glaucoma is sometimes referred to as the Sneak
  Thief of Sight because often there are no
  symptoms!

Studies show that over the next ten years the
number of Americans diagnosed with glaucoma will
increase by more than one million, yet Americans
are still not doing as much as they should to
help protect their vision!
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What is Glaucoma?

• Glaucoma is a disease that causes a gradual
  degeneration of cells that make up the optic
  nerve which carries visual information from the
  eye to the brain.

• As the nerve cells die, vision is slowly lost.
  Often, the loss of vision is unnoticeable until a
  significant amount of nerve damage has occurred.

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What does glaucoma look like?

• Picture of an eye with moderate stage glaucoma

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What Causes Glaucoma?

• At the front of the eye, there is a small space
  called the anterior chamber. Clear fluid flows in
  and out of the chamber to bathe and nourish
  nearby tissues.
• In glaucoma, for still unknown reasons, the fluid
  drains too slowly out of the eye.
• As the fluid builds up, the pressure inside the
  eye rises. Unless this pressure is controlled, it
  may cause damage to the optic nerve and other
  parts of the eye and loss of vision.
• The most common form of glaucoma, primary
  open-angle glaucoma, develops slowly and usually
  without any symptoms.

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Who is most likely to get glaucoma?

• Nearly 3 million people have glaucoma in the U.S.
• Although anyone can get glaucoma some people are
  at higher risk, for example, African Americans
  over the age of 40, anyone over age 60, or people
  with a family history of glaucoma.
• Studies show that glaucoma is three to four
  times more likely to occur in African Americans
  than in Whites About six times more likely to
  cause blindness in African Americans than in
  whites.

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Symptoms
?
Patient with early stage glaucoma
?
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So, if there arent always symptoms, how is
glaucoma diagnosed?
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Detection

• Since there arent any symptoms at first its
  important that people have a comprehensive eye
  exam each year.
• Many people may know of the air puff test used
  to measure eye pressure during an eye exam. But,
  this test alone cannot detect glaucoma.
• Glaucoma is found most often during a dilated eye
  examination. This means drops are put into the
  eyes during the exam to enlarge the pupils. This
  allows the optometrist to see more of the inside
  of the eye to check for signs of glaucoma.

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Glaucoma cannot be cured, but there are ways to
treat it.
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Glaucoma Treatment

• Medications These may be either in the form of
  eye drops or pills. Some drugs reduce pressure by
  slowing the flow of fluid, others help improve
  fluid drainage.
• Laser Surgery During laser surgery, a strong
  beam of light is focused on the part of the
  anterior chamber where the fluid leaves the eye.
  Small changes result, making it easer for fluid
  to exit the eye.
• Surgery Surgery can also help fluid escape from
  the eye, thereby reducing the pressure. However,
  surgery is usually reserved for patients whose
  pressure cannot be controlled with eye drops,
  pills or laser surgery.

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What can I do to help prevent glaucoma?
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Glaucoma is not 100 preventable, but
In addition to regular, comprehensive eye exams,
the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians
also recommends incorporating a few easy tips to
help save or improve sight

• Watch that diet Eat green, leafy vegetables and
  foods rich in nutrients like beta carotene,
  vitamin C and zinc to protect eyes from disease.
• Cut down on those bad habits Cigarettes and
  alcohol or excessive caffeine intake can all be
  harmful to the eyes.
• If you work in front of a computer, practice the
  20/20 rule every 20 minutes, take a 20 second
  break to help avoid eye strain and computer
  vision syndrome.
• Wear those shades Both adults and children
  should wear sunglasses year-round with UV-A and
  UV-B protection.

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Plus

• See your optometrist if you are experiencing
  stinging, itchy, or scratchy eyes, excessive
  tearing, or any eye discomfort or reduced vision
  he or she may recommend artificial tears or tear
  substitutes, or prescribe medication.

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Questions? Talk to your optometric physician or
head to the New Jersey Society of Optometric
Physicians website at www.njsop.org!