Preventblindness.org

Your focus this year may be on improving your health, but have you set your sight on better eye health? January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and according to Prevent Blindness America, over 2.2 million Americans age 40 and older suffer from glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness.

Called the “sneak thief of sight,” glaucoma has no visible symptoms in its early stages. This means that nearly half the people with glaucoma are unaware they suffer from it. Early detection and treatment, however, can help to diminish the long-term vision loss associated with glaucoma.

Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve that sends information from the eyes to the brain. When this happens, a person may lose patches of vision. It usually starts with loss of side vision and over time can cause loss of straight ahead vision. This gradual loss means many people don’t realize they have glaucoma until after significant optic nerve damage and vision loss.

Risk factors for glaucoma include age, race, family history, diabetes, nearsightedness, eye injury or surgery, and steroid medication. To assess if you may be at risk, take this online assessment. Then, call your optometrist to schedule an annual eye exam as part of your commitment to better health.