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Eye Doctors Urge Exams During Glaucoma Awareness Month
In honor of Glaucoma Awareness Month, many eye doctors and organizations dedicated to eye care are offering free glaucoma screenings.
It is estimated that over 3 million Americans have glaucoma and half are at risk for going blind because they remain undiagnosed. “Glaucoma is a complex disease, because there are no symptoms in the early stages. By the time vision loss is noted by the patient, the disease process is quite advanced. If detected early enough, vision loss from glaucoma can be treated and prevented,” said Tim Huynh, MD, glaucoma specialist at Highland Ophthalmology in New York.
African Americans have a higher incidence of glaucoma, and it often appears at a younger age than in other racial groups. Anyone with a close relative — father, mother or sibling — with glaucoma is also at risk. Older people, those with diabetes and people who have had a serious eye injury are considered at risk as well.
Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve, responsible for transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain, is damaged. It can be associated with elevated pressure within the eye and often leads to vision loss. It begins with the loss of peripheral vision and then advances to a reduction in central vision. Glaucoma can potentially lead to blindness. Although glaucoma cannot be cured, early detection and treatment can usually preserve vision.
Source: Send2Press Newswire