Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. It is an eye condition where the the optic nerve is damaged. In most cases, this damage is caused by the eye pressure being too high.
Glaucoma risk definitely runs in families. If you have a relative who has been treated for glaucoma, it is important to make time for an eye exam.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends everyone have a complete eye exam at age 40. This is more important if you have a family history of glaucoma, diabetes or macular degeneration.
The risk of glaucoma increases as we get older. Getting an eye exam to celebrate retirement is a great idea, especially of you have not had an exam in a while. Eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts become more common.
Glaucoma is followed by checking eye pressures, imaging the optic nerve with photography and OCT and testing visual fields. It is usually treated with daily eye drops.
Prevention is the best treatment for glaucoma. The vision damage it causes cannot be reversed once it is there. Since early vision loss from glaucoma often attacks our peripheral vision first, patients often don’t notice in the early stages. Screening is the best way to protect your sight.