January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time dedicated to educating patients about glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness. Research has found about 10% of people with glaucoma fail to recognize the symptoms until it is too late to save their vision.

Glaucoma is a disease that does not discriminate. Everyone is at risk, and early detection is the key to effective treatment. It’s essential to know the signs and symptoms of glaucoma.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an umbrella term for eye conditions that affect the optic nerve, responsible for sending visual signals to the brain for interpretation. Glaucoma can affect anyone at any age, but it is the leading cause of blindness for people over 60.

What Causes Glaucoma?

Glaucoma describes a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve. The cause of that damage can vary. Elevated eye pressure is the most common cause. If fluid builds up in the eye, it can put too much pressure on the optic nerve, eventually damaging it and causing complete vision loss.

The most common form of glaucoma is open-angle, which occurs when the drainage system in the eye fails. The other forms include closed-angle glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma.

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

There are several forms of glaucoma, some with no symptoms at all. You might have:

• Patchy blind spots, especially in your side or peripheral vision
• Severe headache
• Eye pain
• Blurred vision
• Colored rings around lights
• Eye redness and irritation

If you experience sudden changes in your vision, severe headaches, or eye pain, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately.

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Risk of Glaucoma?

The most effective way to reduce your risk of vision loss from glaucoma is to see your eye doctor regularly. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends you make an appointment yearly for a comprehensive eye exam if you are over 65. However, if you are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma, you should schedule eye exams annually, regardless of age.

Schedule Glaucoma Testing From Dr. Jeffrey Maehara, MD

Dr. Jeffrey Maehara is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in eye care to support vision throughout your life. Call 808-955-3937 or go online to schedule your appointment today and stay ahead of glaucoma.

Your vision can be affected by any number of environmental or internal factors. Since your eyes are so delicate, it is essential to protect them as much as possible to help prevent vision issues to even a loss of your vision. Unfortunately, the causes of many eye conditions that can lead to severe vision issues are largely unknown.

Glaucoma is one such disease of the eye that, while a specific cause is unknown, can lead to serious vision issues and, if left untreated, complete vision loss. Glaucoma refers to a build-up of pressure in the eye that compresses the optic nerve. Over time, this can lead to permanent vision loss.

The most common cause of glaucoma is a water or fluid build-up that becomes trapped between the iris and the cornea. This occurs when the drainage canals become blocked, or the fluid in the eye is a different consistency or make-up than normal.

As more and more fluid fills this area, pressure begins to increase at the back of the eye, near the retina, and compresses the optic nerve. Although rare, glaucoma can also occur in patients with normal eye pressure.

Depending on the type of glaucoma, your ophthalmologist may prescribe specific medication to reduce the pressure in the eye that comes in either tablet form or eye drops. If there is a build-up of fluid in the area between the iris and cornea, laser or surgery or another procedure may be required to drain the fluid and reduce the pressure.

Although glaucoma is primarily considered a hereditary disease, there are several steps you can take to reduce the chances of it occurring and lessen the symptoms and risk of vision loss. Maintaining a healthy nutrition plan and regular exercise can help keep the fluid in the eye at a consistency where it can flow easily and reduce the chance of blockages in the drainage canals.

There is no reason to wait to contact an experienced ophthalmologist if you have any eye issues or sudden changes in your vision. Early treatment can make a difference in preserving your eyesight. Call Maehara Eye Surgery and Laser in Honolulu, HI, at 808-955-3937 or visit www.maeharaeyes.com to schedule a consultation today.

Glaucoma is an age-related eye disease where increased pressure in the eye damages your eye’s optic nerves, getting worse over time. Too often, the people who have the most common type of glaucoma do not have any warning signs. By the time they notice symptoms, it’s usually in the later stages of the disease. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people age 60 and older. Read on for risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk factors and protect your vision.

In healthy eyes, fluid is produced in the ciliary body, enters the eye and drains through tiny passages called the trabecular meshwork. If you have glaucoma, these passages become blocked and pressure in the eye rises.

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors for glaucoma include:

• Ancestry is African American, Irish, Japanese, Hispanic, Russian, Inuit or Scandinavian descent
• Over the age of 40
• Family history of glaucoma
• High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or sickle cell anemia
• Poor vision
• Eye injury
• Corneas are thinner than usual
• High eye pressure
• Nearsighted or farsighted

 Can I prevent glaucoma?

 You can help slow the progress of glaucoma or detect it in its early stages by doing the following:

• Get comprehensive eye exams. You should get one every 5-10 years if you’re younger than 40; every 2-4 years for those ages 40-54; everyone 1-3 years for those ages 55-64; and every 1-2 years for those 65 and older. If you’re at risk of glaucoma, you’ll need more frequent screening. Your doctor can recommend the right screening schedule for you.
• Regular exercise can help prevent glaucoma by reducing eye pressure. Ask your doctor for recommendations.
• Know your family health history. Glaucoma tends to run in families, so you may need more frequent screening if you are at increased risk.
• Wear eye protection. Eye injuries can lead to eye conditions and diseases such as glaucoma, so protect your eyes when playing certain sports or using power tools.

 Glaucoma treatment

Some cases can be treated with medication. Other cases may require laser or traditional surgery to lower eye pressure.

Regular eye exams will help you stay on top of any eye conditions or diseases so you can address them at the earliest, most treatable stages. Call 808.955.3937 today to schedule an appointment at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser.