Glaucoma: The 'silent thief'

Glaucoma is sometimes called the “silent thief of sight” because it slowly damages the eyes and can cause irreparable harm before there is any vision loss. But this disease is stealthy in more ways than one. Even today, we still do not know what causes it in most cases. There are treatments to delay vision loss, but no cure, making it the leading cause of blindness all over the world. here are many manifestations of the disease, but primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form and the most mysterious.

1. Catch this silent thief of sight before you lose vision. see your Eye Doctor regularly for ocular exams. This  disease may be found in its beginning stages, and can be watched and treated. 

2. Taking steroid medication? inn high doses can raise eye pressure, especially if one has glaucoma. Steroids taken orally or used around eyes are the most likely to raise eye pressure. 

3. Eat well to see well.  Eat Berries, nuts, seeds and green leafy veggies every day.

4. Exercise :Intense exercise that raises heart rate can also raise eye pressure. But brisk walking and regular exercise at a moderate pace may lower eye pressure and improve overall health. 

5. Protect your eyes from injury. Eye injuries can lead to glaucoma. 

6. Avoid head-down positions.  Do not place your head below your heart for long periods of time. That includes staying away from inversion tables or gravity boots for back pain. Head-down positions can greatly raise eye pressure

7. Sleep in the right position. If you have glaucoma, avoid sleeping with your eye against the pillow or on your arm. People who have SLEEP APNEA are at risk of glaucoma, or may have more serious disease.

8. Protect your eyes from sunlight. There is some evidence that the sun’s UV rays may cause a type of glaucoma. 

9. Keep your mouth clean and healthy. Recent research links gum disease with optic nerve damage in glaucoma. Brush and floss teeth every day and seek dental care regularly.

10. Blood pressure medicine. If BP drops too low during sleep, it can worsen glaucoma damage.

Protection against glaucoma

Even though the risks of glaucoma are not fully understood, remembering these useful snippets may mitigate agaist Vision Loss

• People at higher risk include African Americans age 45 and older, everyone over age 60, and those with a family history of the disease.
• Because glaucoma often has no symptoms in its early stages, people at higher risk should have a dilated eye exam/OCT every one to two years.
• With early detection and treatment, it is possible to slow progression of the disease and preserve vision.

Author

Paddy Kalish OD, JD and B.Arch