January is Glaucoma Awareness month. Please join us in raising awareness!
Glaucoma affects more than 3 million people in the United States.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that can impair your vision permanently and can happen without warning signs. It can persist over time to where a person may not even notice their vision is being impaired by this disease.
Unfortunately, once a person has lost their eyesight, there is no guaranteed way to regain it.
Two Main Types of Glaucoma:
Primary Open-Angle
The most common type of glaucoma is “Primary Open-Angle.” This is the more common type of glaucoma. Being diagnosed with this means that your eye does not drain fluid as it should. In response, pressure build ups around the eye and causes permanent damage. This usually happens gradually over time before it is diagnosed.
Acute Angle-Closure
Acute Angle-Closure is the more aggressive form of glaucoma. This happens rapidly, and there are multiple warning signs.
Symptoms may include vision loss over a short span of time, eyebrow aches, headaches, nausea, dilated pupils, and vomiting.
Protect Yourself
Since Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, regular eye exams are important to monitor and ensure you are receiving the correct treatment.
Wearing a Medical ID can be beneficial to those who have glaucoma. If a vision-impaired person is separated from their loved ones, a medical ID can help alert medical professionals.
