GLAUCOMA AWARENESS BLOG

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

​

What is glaucoma?

 

Glaucoma is an eye disease that results in damage to the optic nerve which causes permanent and irreversible vision loss.  The damage to the optic nerve often occurs due to the pressure inside the eye being too high.  Eye pressure is not related to blood pressure, so the only way to measure eye pressure is to visit an eye care professional.

 

There are different types of glaucoma and the most common forms of glaucoma often do not have any symptoms until end-stage disease.  This means that by the time you have noticed visual changes there has been significant damage to your eye.  Thus, it is important to have routine ocular health examinations to watch for the warning signs of early glaucoma. 

 

Who gets glaucoma?

 

According to the National Eye Institute, 1 out of every 2 Americans that has glaucoma doesn't even know they have it!  Anybody can get glaucoma.  Some risk factors that have been identified that may increase your risk for glaucoma are: positive family history, trauma to the eye, diabetes, and age.  Therefore, routine eye exams are very important to screen for glaucoma.

 

Why Dilation? 

 

Dilation is the standard of care when it comes to monitoring ocular health.  The reason is that examining the eye through a dilated pupil gives the doctor the best view inside the eye.  The optic nerve is the size of the head of a pin.  Thus, dilation allows for the doctor to get a good look at your optic nerve.

 

When you receive a dilated eye exam, you can expect some visual changes that last about 2 hours.  First, because the pupil is dilated, it can make you more light sensitive so wearing sunglasses, especially on very sunny days, is recommended.  Additionally, the dilation drops relax the muscles responsible for your focusing system so vision can be blurry, especially near vision.

 

Get Your Eyes Examined Today!

 

Make a resolution for healthy vision!  You can get your dilated eye exam by calling 306-719-2020. 

 

For more information on glaucoma awareness month, visit the National Eye Institute’s website at: https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/gam

 

References:

1. NEI: https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/gam