HJNO Jan/Feb 2020

54 JAN / FEB 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN  SENIOR HEALTH GLAUCOMA is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. Al- though the most common forms primar- ily affect the middle-aged and the elderly, glaucoma can affect people of all ages. Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve, which transmits images to your brain, and gets worse over time. It typically occurs when fluid builds up in the front of the eye. The extra fluid increases the pressure in the eye (called intraocular pressure, or IOP), damaging the optic nerve. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over amillionwires. It is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain. There is no cure for glaucoma—yet. However, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. The appropriate treat- ment depends upon the type of glaucoma, among other factors. Early detection is vital to stopping the progress of the disease. Those at higher risk include people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent. Oth- er high-risk groups include people over 60, familymembers of those already diagnosed, diabetics, and people who are severely near- sighted. Regular eye exams are especially Unsightly Matters: Glaucoma and Eye Health Should Not be Overlooked important for those at higher risk for glau- coma, andmay help to prevent unnecessary vision loss. One of the main challenges of glaucoma is that there are usually no symptoms in early stages, which is why it is so impor- tant to have regular eye exams by an eye doctor. Even before people progress to the point of blindness, vision loss affects them in multiple ways because the brain adapts and compensates for some loss of vision. Vision impairment may be associated with reduced quality of life and decreased ability to perform activities of daily living, includ- ing loss of independence, restrictedmobility, and depression and anxiety. It is not surpris- ing to know that people with glaucoma have a 3x greater risk of falls, and 6x greater risk for automobile accidents. “It is alarming, but not surprising, that only about half of patients are able to keep their intraocular pressure under control,”saidThomas Brun- ner, Glaucoma Research Foundation pres- ident and CEO. “We need to identify and address the remaining barriers to effective disease management and patient engage- ment so that we can help reduce patients’ anxiety while better protecting their vision.” Over three million Americans, and over 60 million people world- wide have glaucoma. Experts esti- mate that half of them don’t know they have it. Combined with our aging population, we can see an epidemic of blindness looming if we don’t raise awareness about the importance of regular eye ex- aminations to preserve vision. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.5 million people worldwide are blind due to glau- coma. The National Eye Institute projects this number will reach 4.2 million by 2030, a 58 percent increase. January is National Glau- coma Awareness Month, and a perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of regular eye ex- ams.