The Facts About Your Eyes And Glaucoma

Start 2023 with a promise to yourself to make your eye health a priority. Our eye health and vision were a key focus for many in 2022. The CDC reports that 17.2 percent of Americans over 40 years of age have a cataract in at least one eye (about 20.5 million people). In the United States during the year 2022, approximately 12 million people aged 40 and above suffered from vision impairment, and about one million from blindness. Globally, the statistics are just as similar, with reports from the World Health Organization showing over 2.2 billion people with eye and vision problems. By the year 2050, the number of people with visual impairment or blindness will double.

This data suggest that many people will continue to experience eye diseases that could have a significant impact on an individual’s overall lifestyle. Therefore, the focus on vision health must be a priority. Our vision is important and a dominant sense. It is important to note that our eyes perform many tasks, and they are the entryway through which our brain can inform us about our world and learn new things, and it is where data from your surroundings are collected and sent to the brain for processing.

Our eyes provide the information and the brain visualizes the image. Your eyes and brain are constantly doing all of this in a tiny fraction of a second. It is the most important sense that we must take care of, and make sure to do all that is feasible to protect and maintain healthy eyes.  Our eyes can provide insights into our overall health. It is impacted by many organs. Stop and look around you and what do you see?  Could you imagine a life without these vivid, instructional, and informational images?

Eye Observation For 2023

Over the next 12 months, we will provide information to enhance your overall knowledge about eye health, diseases, and other important information critical for maintaining healthy vision. Over the next 12 months, we will discuss two of the following each month (Topics are subject to change):

• January 2023: Glaucoma Awareness Month
• January 2023: Age-Related Macular Degeneration
• February 2023: AMD/Low Vision Awareness
• February 2023: Low Vision
• March 2023: Workplace Eye Awareness
• April: Sports Eye Safety
• May 2023: Health Eye Vision
• May 2023: Blind Awareness
• June 2023: Cataract Awareness
• July 2023: Eye Injury Prevention/Fireworks/UV
• August 2023: Children’s Eye Health And Safety
• August 2023: Cataract Awareness
• September 2023: CVI Awareness
• September 2023: Deafblind Awareness
• October 2023: Children’s Eye Health And Safety
• October 2023: Contact Lenses Use And Safety
• November 2023: World Blindness
• November 2023: Home Eye Safety
• November 2023: FSA/HSA Spending
• December 2023: Diabetic Related Eye Diseases
• December 2023: FSA/HSA Spending Part 2
• December 2023: Safe Toys And Gifts

Glaucoma: January 2023

The CDC reports that there are approximately three million Americans have glaucoma which is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.  The most common form is open-angle glaucoma which is due to an increase in eye pressure. With this form, there are usually no early symptoms, and therefore approximately 50% of people with glaucoma do not know they have the eye disease. Current treatment for glaucoma includes eye drops, laser treatment, and surgery.

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. The damage is often caused by abnormally high pressure in the eye. It is also one of the leading causes of blindness for people aged 60 and over. There are usually no warning signs for many forms of glaucoma, and the effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is at an advanced stage.

There are treatments that focus on reducing pressure in the eye, thereby reducing damage to the optic nerve. We cannot cure glaucoma; however, current treatments can slow and sometimes halt its progression. Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive eye disease caused by damage to the optic nerve, which leads to visual field loss. One of the major risk factors is eye pressure. An abnormality in the eye’s drainage system can cause fluid to build up, leading to excessive pressure that causes damage to the optic nerve (Hopkins Medicine).

Current treatment for glaucoma includes eye drops, laser treatment, and surgery. These treatments aim to reduce pressure in the eye, thereby reducing damage to the optic nerve. Although we cannot cure glaucoma, current treatments can slow and sometimes halt its progression.

Key Facts About Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Glaucoma can cause blindness if it is left untreated. …
• There is no cure (yet) for glaucoma. Glaucoma is not curable, and vision loss cannot be regained. …
• Everyone is at risk for glaucoma. …
• There may be no symptoms to warn you.

Two Types of Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma

• Patchy blind spots in your side (peripheral) or central vision, frequently in both eyes
• Tunnel vision in the advanced stages

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

• Severe headache
• Eye pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Halos around lights
• Eye redness

In our next article for January 2023, we will provide more insights into glaucoma.

Contact our office immediately if you believe you have glaucoma symptoms.