Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, but there’s one resolution that rarely makes the cut – and depending your age or family health history, it should.
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States, and most people are unaware they have it because, like many diseases, it has no symptoms in its early stages. It comes with no pain, discomfort or blurry vision.
Anyone can get it, but those at higher risk are everyone over age 60 – especially Hispanics, African-Americans over 40, and people with a family history of the disease.
This January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and according to the National Eye Institute (NEI), glaucoma can usually be controlled and severe vision loss can often be prevented if detected early.
Glaucoma starts with a buildup of fluid that increases the pressure in your eye and causes damage to the optic nerve, the bundle of nerve fibers that transfers everything you see to your brain. Glaucoma first affects your peripheral vision. As the disease progresses, vision loss finally becomes more noticeable, and if not controlled, the disease leads to permanent vision loss and blindness.
The NEI and the New Mexico Department of Health recommend everyone at higher risk get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. That’s different from the basic eye exam for glasses. During a comprehensive dilated eye exam an eye care professional places drops in your eyes to widen the pupil and looks at the optic nerve for signs of the disease.
Taking care of your eyes also may benefit your overall health. People with vision problems are more likely than those with good vision to have diabetes, poor hearing, heart problems, high blood pressure, lower back pain and stroke, as well as have increased risk for falls, accidents, and depression. Among people age 65 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 54 percent of those who are blind and 41percent of those with impaired vision say their overall health is fair or poor. Just 21 percent of older Americans without vision problems reported fair to poor health.
So as 2017 is just days away, make a resolution for healthier vision. Make sure your eyes are healthy and you are seeing your best in the new year. Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam and encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same.
To learn more about glaucoma, visit www.nei.nih.gov/glaucoma.