It’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and I wanted to take a little time today to share with you the importance of being monitored for this “sneak thief of sight.” Glaucoma slowly causes the loss of eyesight by damaging the optic nerve through high eye pressure.
Because symptoms often don’t accompany glaucoma and because it’s not usually painful, you may be suffering from this condition and not even know it. Thankfully, your eye doctor can monitor your risk levels if you stay committed to regular exams.
If you have any of the well-known risk factors for glaucoma and haven’t had an exam recently, you definitely need to be seen by your optometrist. Some risk factors to watch for include age (60 years or older), ethnicity (African-Americans and Hispanics are at a higher risk), family history, and steroid use (to treat serious asthmatic conditions). Others include diabetes, high-blood pressure, and high eye pressure levels.
If you fall into any of these categories, make an appointment with me today. And if you suffer from glaucoma, share your experience in the comments below.
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