OPHTHALMOLOGY

Gregory Eippert, MD

Q: Who gets glaucoma? Is it preventable?

A: Anyone can get glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that affects approximately 3 million people in the U.S. and more than 60 million worldwide. Many people are not even aware that they have glaucoma because often there are no outward symptoms until noticeable vision loss occurs. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Glaucoma tends to run in families. If a person has one or more family members with glaucoma, there is increased risk of developing glaucoma. This disease also tends to be more common in people with diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension), and older adults. Other factors that may increase one’s risk of developing glaucoma include severe nearsightedness or farsightedness, a history of certain eye conditions or injuries, and certain ethnic groups.

Glaucoma, in general, cannot be prevented. Also, there is little evidence to support the use of vitamins or supplements for the prevention of glaucoma or reversing vision loss due to glaucoma. Vision loss that occurs due to glaucomatous damage of the optic nerve cannot be reversed but with appropriate treatment, further vision loss may be prevented. The types of glaucoma resulting from eye injuries or diseases such as diabetes of hypertension may be preventable or avoided with certain measures. These include wearing protective eyewear to avoid injury to the eye and proper management and control of diabetes and hypertension, although there is no guarantee that even with proper safety and management of risk factors that glaucoma would not occur. Glaucoma often progresses undetected until the optic nerve has been irreversibly damaged causing varying degrees of permanent vision loss. The best defense against glaucoma, the silent thief of sight, is an annual dilated eye exam, or more often as recommended by your eye doctor.

Gregory Eippert, MD 9485 Mentor Ave., #110, Mentor 44060 440-255-1115 www.opivision.com