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Glaucoma on the Rise /
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It’s
the first month of the new year—a time when more
than 40 percent of American adults make one or
more resolutions. What are your resolutions for
the new year? Losing weight? Quitting smoking?
How about learning more about glaucoma and how
you can protect
your sight?
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage
the optic nerve of the eye and lead to vision loss
and blindness. Primary open-angle glaucoma is the
most common form. In this condition, fluid builds up
in the front chamber of the eye, and the optic nerve
is damaged by the resulting increase in eye
pressure. This potentially blinding eye disease
currently affects 2.7 million people nationwide, and
studies show that at least half of all people with
glaucoma do not know they have it.
“While anyone can develop glaucoma, we
encourage people at higher risk to get a
comprehensive dilated eye exam every one to two
years,” said director Dr. Paul Sieving of the
National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National
Institutes of Health. “Individuals at higher risk
include African Americans age 40 and over; everyone
over the age of 60, especially Mexican Americans;
and people with a family history of glaucoma.”
The prevalence of glaucoma is projected to reach
4.2 million by the year 2030 and 6.3 million by
2050. Last year, NEI invested $71 million on a wide
range of studies to understand causes and potential
areas of treatment for glaucoma.
“Primary open-angle glaucoma often has no early
warning signs,” said Dr. James Tsai, chair of the
Glaucoma Subcommittee for the NEI National Eye
Health Education Program. “Often, a person will not
experience any noticeable vision loss in the early
stages of glaucoma. But as the disease progresses, a
person may notice his or her side vision decreasing.
If the disease is left untreated, the field of
vision narrows and blindness may result.”
