Glaucoma Protection: What you need to know to prevent blindness

Did you know that 2.7 million people have glaucoma. That’s a pretty alarming number. What is even more alarming is that 50% of people have no idea they have it because glaucoma is a condition that carries no symptoms. The condition leads to the slow, progressive loss of vision that occurs over decades.

What is glaucoma.

It is a condition that damages the optic nerve in the back of the eye. In most people who have glaucoma, their elevated eye pressures start the damaging cascade of events. In others, there is a vascular component that the nerve cells in optic nerve do not receive the nutrition they need, so they start to die. People who have this type of glaucoma have normal eye pressures, but show damage that can be mapped out with a visual field or tomography.

There glaucoma can be inherited, so if you have a family history, it is important to tell your eye doctor. Also, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to develop the condition. Also, diabetics are more likely to develop glaucoma, as well as people who have had any type of eye injury from impact (projectile object hitting the eye, causing soft tissue damage). However, glaucoma resulting from traumatic events does not occur until later in life.

What you can do to protect your vision.

Since prevention is an option, detection is the leading way to prevent pronounced vision loss. The earlier elevated eye pressures are detected, the better the visual outcome. For people who don’t have glaucoma, scheduling annual eye examination, which includes eye pressure measurement, will show any trends of increasing eye pressures over time. Eye pressures normally vary day to day, and from time to time, but it’s the large shifts and the increasing trends that cause damage to the optic nerve.

What questions should you ask your eyecare provider Questions about your eye disease:

1. What caused my condition? 2. Can my condition be treated? 3. How will this condition affect my vision now and in the future? 4. Should I watch for any particular symptoms and notify you if they occur? 5. Should I make any lifestyle changes?

Questions about my treatment:

1. What is the treatment for my condition? 2. When will the treatment start and how long will it last? 3. What are the benefits of this treatment and how successful is it? 4. What are the risks and side effects associated with this treatment? 5. Are there food, drugs, or activities I should avoid while I am on this treatment? 6. If my treatment includes taking medicine, what should I do if I miss a dose? How you should you use your glaucoma drops If eye drops have been prescribed to treat your glaucoma, you need to use them properly as your doctor instructs you. Proper use and instillation of glaucoma mediation can help maximize the medicine’s effectiveness and reduce your risks of side effects.

To properly instill your eye drops, follow these instructions:

• Wash your hands • Hold the bottle upside down, allowing the medicine to travel towards the tip • Tilt your head back • Hold the bottle in one hand and place it as close to your eye as possible

• With the other hand, pull down your lower eyelid, creating a pocket to instill the top into

• Place one drop into the lower eyelid pocket. If you are using more than one eyedrop, be sure to wait five minutes before applying the second eyedrop

• Close your eyes and apply pressure to the side of the upper part of your nose (punctual occlusion) to prevent the drops from draining into the tear duct, which can increase your risk of side effects.

To keep your vision for the future, early detection is the key. Since glaucoma can be inherited, ask your parents early if there is any glaucoma that runs in the family. “Many people confuse glaucoma with cataracts, when asked in the exam room, if their parents or grandparent have/had glaucoma, says, Dr. Fisher. Many elderly patients take eye drops for dry eye, so if you see your family members taking eye drops, don’t assume they are for glaucoma. A positive family history is just one of the many risk factors that can help predict whether you may develop glaucoma later in your life.