Glaucoma is a potentially blinding disease, which is thought to affect around 1% of the population. Risk factors include age, family history of glaucoma, African ancestry, and previous eye trauma. It is a disease that causes damage to the optic nerve that conducts light information from the retina to the brain.

 “In the early stages of most eye problems there aren’t many, if any, symptoms or pains involved,” explains Richard May, MD, a board certified ophthalmologist at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake. “Vision may only become affected once the disease has progressed and has already caused damage to the eye.  This is why it is so important for seniors to get regular eye care and have their eyes dilated and examined at least once every year.”

 Dr. May goes on to explain that the optic nerve is usually visible during your regular complete eye exam by an ophthalmologist. Damaged or at-risk optic nerves typically have certain characteristics on observation. Most glaucoma patients will have high intraocular pressure as well. Currently, the only uniformly accepted treatment for glaucoma is to reduce the intraocular pressures. Most often, this can be accomplished with eye drops, but there are also laser treatments and surgical options for when the drops fail to achieve adequate pressure control.

Dr. May stresses that patients with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from glaucoma than other adults.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has recommended regularly scheduled complete eye exams every one to two years and closer follow-up if any of these develop or you fall into one of the higher risk categories outlined above.  For more information, try www.glaucoma-foundation.org.