Jaunuary is Glaucoma Awareness Month
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month
Approximately 3 million Americans have glaucoma. Because the disease often progresses silently in the initial stages, with no symptoms, it is estimated that up to half of the approximately 3 million Americans with the disease don’t know they have it. Vision loss from glaucoma is permanent and irreversible. While anyone can get glaucoma, certain groups of people are at higher risk for the disease. Glaucoma is more likely to occur in African Americans than in Caucasians and is a leading cause of blindness among African American and Hispanic populations in the United States. People with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma as adults without diabetes. And people with a family history of glaucoma are more likely to get glaucoma too. Although glaucoma cannot be cured, early detection and treatment usually can stop further damage and prevent blindness.
