The thief has a name — glaucoma. This year, it is silently stealing the vision of more than three million North Americans.
Of these, about half now have permanent impairment, and 120,000 are blind. In most of these cases, vision could have been saved with early detection and treatment.
A more frightening fact: About half of the three million people with glaucoma do not know they have it. The disease is quietly destroying their vision without a single symptom.
That's the main reason why everyone over age 40 should have regular eye examinations that include glaucoma screening. It is particularly important for African-Americans and people with diabetes. They are up to 15 times more likely to go blind from glaucoma than the general population.
Others with a higher risk of glaucoma include those with family members who have had it and anyone who has not been examined for two years or more.
There are two types of glaucoma: acute and chronic. Acute glaucoma produces symptoms that generally result in early treatment to minimize damage.
Chronic glaucoma has no symptoms until vision loss becomes obvious and the eyes are irreversibly damaged.
Screening for glaucoma is painless. Visit an opthalmologist for a thorough evaluation and to detect the disease as early as possible.
