January – Glaucoma Awareness Month

Posted January 30, 2017 by Mandy Smith in ,

Though January is almost over there is still time to learn about Glaucoma.

  • Currently over 3 million people in the United States have Glaucoma
  • It is estimated that half of those people don’t know they have it
  • There is no symptoms and once vision is lost it is permanent
  • Glaucoma is the leading cause of PREVENTABLE blindness
  • It is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans
  • There are multiple types of glaucoma most affect middle age but it can occur at any age
  • Best way to protect yourself is yearly eye exams

There are many resources available for more information.

http://www.glaucoma.org/news/glaucoma-awareness-month.php

https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/gam

https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/glaucoma/keep-vision-in-your-future-toolkit-download

https://nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/nehep-pdfs/GlaucomaFactSheet_2015.pdf

 

Mandy Smith

Mandy has worked at RCIL since June of 2009. She is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and provides services in 32 counties to individuals who are blind or have low vision and are 55 years and older.

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