Jan. 4, 2017
Prevent Blindness has declared January as National Glaucoma Awareness Month in an effort to help educate the public on the disease, including risk factors and treatment options.
Glaucoma, which can lead to vision loss if not controlled, affects nearly three million people ages 40 and older, according to the Prevent Blindness report, “Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Cost of Vision Problems.” By the year 2032, the number is projected to increase nearly 50 percent to 4.3 million, and by more than 90 percent, to 5.5 million, by 2050, due to the large aging population in the U.S.
According to the recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division (NASEM) consensus study, “Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow,” in glaucoma, physiological changes related to the aging process alter the physical conditions under which light enters the eye or compromise the cellular function, or neural pathways, that relay information about the physical environment to the eye or the brain. Additionally, the report states that in the early and intermediate stages of glaucoma, changes in vision may not be noticeable without a dilated eye examination, despite ongoing damage to structures of the visual system.
“Fortunately, the damaging effects of glaucoma can be lessened if detected and treated early,” says Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We urge everyone, especially those ages 40 and older, to make an appointment for a dilated eye exam from an eyecare professional today. Please don’t put off your chance for healthy vision until tomorrow!”
For more information on glaucoma or financial assistance programs including Medicare coverage, visit http://www.preventblindness.org or call (800) 331-2020.
