6 Glaucoma Risk Factors to Know
Glaucoma is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, affecting almost thousands of people, with roughly half of them undiagnosed. Glaucoma is a gradual increase of pressure in a person’s eye, damaging the optic nerve and decreasing vision. Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common and is a “silent disease,” offering up no warning signs or symptoms until eyesight is irreversibly damaged and lost. Most patients slowly lose their peripheral vision and develop tunneled eyesight. Learning about the basics of this difficult disease is a great place to start before looking for care for glaucoma boulder.
Factors that Increase the Risk of Glaucoma January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and is a good time for Boulder residents to learn about and share knowledge of this degenerative disease. Regular eye exams are an important part of disease prevention; glaucoma is the leading cause of preventative blindness, with almost 12 percent of all cases stemming from glaucoma. 1. Glaucoma can affect anyone, but those over 60 are more than six times more likely to develop it. However, in spite of these numbers, 1 in 10,000 babies born in the United States also suffer from glaucoma.
2. Anyone suffering from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or sickle cell anemia is at a higher risk of developing glaucoma. Genetics also comes into play. Those with a family history of glaucoma are nine times more likely to be diagnosed with the degenerative disease. 3. Women who have an estrogen deficiency, usually caused from a bilateral oophorectomy, the removal of both ovaries, before age 45 are at a greater risk for glaucoma. 4. Extended steroid use increases the risk of glaucoma by up to 40 percent. Steroids increase intraocular pressure, further damaging the optic nerve. Any steroid use exceeding two weeks should be monitored by an eye doctor to ensure no long-term damage is occurring. 5. Persons with intensive nearsightedness, or myopia, are at an increased risk (more than three times the risk of a person without myopia) of developing glaucoma.
6. Glaucoma is more common among African Americans and Mexican Americans than among Caucasians, affecting up to five times as many patients. African American patients also develop glaucoma much earlier in their lifetimes, with some cases starting at 40 years old.
Regular Eye Care Can Prevent Glaucoma Nothing is scarier than the idea of decreasing vision. Thankfully, glaucoma is preventable with regular checkups every two years for those under 60, and annually for those aged 61 and older. In addition to consistent checkups for eye health, carefully researching care and treatment options at the moment of diagnosis allows glaucoma patients in Boulder to make informed decisions about the future of their ocular health.