Eye Alert: Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Sun

Glaucoma: leading cause of vision loss & blindness; no symptoms in its early stages; can usually be controlled & severe vision loss may be prevented. Vision that is lost from glaucoma cannot be restored. Persons at higher risk include: (a) African Americans over age 40 (b) Everyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos (c) People with a family history of the disease. BTW: the Icare? HOME tonometer device has been available to European glaucoma patients since 2014; now available to patients in the U.S. Doctors don't know exactly how glaucoma damages the optic nerve. BTW, only buy sunglasses that provide a clear statement about how much UV radiation is blocked. This info is for general discussion and awareness only; not intended a medical or other advice for individual facts & circumstance. Use URLs below to access more info.

Glaucoma Give No Early Warning (99): All types of glaucoma have the potential to damage the optic nerve. Unfortunately, most types of glaucoma have no early warning signs. Therefore, it is critical to get regular eye exams to detect glaucoma. Sight loss is avoidable with early detection and treatment. Glaucoma can happen to anyone, but some people are more likely to get it. Those with family members who have glaucoma, have health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, or are African American, Hispanic, Asian or Native American are all at higher risk. If you have not had an eye exam in the last 2 years, please schedule one today. This info is for general discussion and awareness only; not intended a medical or other advice for individual facts and circumstance. Use URLs below to access more info.

Glaucoma Alert (98): Glaucoma is leading cause of vision loss & blindness in U.S. People are often unaware that glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages. If detected early, before noticeable vision loss occurs, glaucoma can usually be controlled and severe vision loss can often be prevented. Vision that is lost from glaucoma cannot be restored. Anyone can get glaucoma, but those at higher risk include: (a) African Americans over age 40 (b) Everyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos (c) People with a family history of the disease

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (99): Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is one the most common types of glaucoma. Our eyes are “inflated” with fluid to keep their shape and function, just like the tire on your car is filled with air. And just like a car tire, there is an ideal range of pressure needed by the eye for proper vision. With POAG, too much fluid in the eye creates pressure on the optic nerve. This process is usually painless and may occur slowly over the years. As the eye pressure continues to increase, the optic nerve loses blood flow resulting in damage and potential blindness.

Normal Tension Glaucoma (99): Normal Tension Glaucoma (NTG) does not cause an abnormal increase in eye pressure — instead, blood flow problems to the optic nerve cause the eye to become sensitive and harmed by normal levels of pressure. Since the veins that feed the optic nerve are very fragile, diseases that cause damage to veins and circulatory problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, play a role in this process. Both POAG and NTG cause painless damage to the optic nerve and loss of sight.

Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma (99): Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma (AACG) happens when the part of the eye that drains the fluid becomes blocked. The fluid buildup causes the eye to swell quickly. As a result, the sharp increase in pressure may cause pain in the eye. Other warning signs include blurry vision, headache, nausea, vomiting or seeing rainbow-colored circles around lights. Anyone experiencing these symptoms needs immediate emergency medical care. AACG can cause blindness within 24 hours.

Secondary Glaucoma (99): Secondary Glaucoma (SG) happens as the result of an eye or head injury, another eye condition, or a tumor. Problems from diabetes, cataracts, and eye surgery also cause this type of glaucoma. The optic nerve damage can occur from the injury, pressure or swelling caused by these conditions, leading to sight loss.

Note 1 (99): iCare Health Solution News. Glaucoma is an eye disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness. All types of glaucoma have the potential to damage the optic nerve. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain, sending information that lets us see. Damage to the optic nerve causes sight loss that may lead to total blindness. When an optic nerve is damaged, it cannot be healed or fixed. Prevention of damage is critical for people with glaucoma.There are many different types of glaucoma. All types of glaucoma can result in partial or full loss of vision if not found and treated early.

Note 2 (99): Get the conversation started about glaucoma. Download our Glaucoma Awareness Social Media Toolkit.The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain, sending information that lets us see. All types of glaucoma can result in partial or full loss of vision if not found & treated early.

Note 3 (98): National Eye Health Education Program. El Kit Cuidemos nuestros ojos del glaucoma provee herramientas a los promotores de salud para educar a las personas sobre el glaucoma y ofrece consejos sobre cómo mantener una visión saludable. El kit es ideal para llevar a cabo charlas educativas con grupos peque?os. Incluye una presentación en formato PowerPoint, una guía para presentar la información y hojas para repartir.

Note 4 (97): People at high risk for glaucoma should get a complete eye exam, including eye dilation, every one or two years. Are You at Risk For Glaucoma? Home intraocular pressure (IOP); Measurements and Continuous Monitors.The Icare? HOME tonometer device has been available to European glaucoma patients since 2014, and is now available to patients in the United States. It uses a disposable probe to measure eye pressure, and can be used up to six times a day. The home tonometer takes six rapid IOP measurements, then calculates eye pressure, and stores it in the device’s memory. However, at this time, it's not yet clear how well patients can use the device, or what use clinicians can make of the data it provides. Our current diagnostic techniques provide adequate information for most patients. Further study will help determine the role of this new diagnostic tool.

Note 5 (96): Doctors don't know exactly how glaucoma damages the optic nerve. For many people, increased eye pressure seems to play an important role. BTW, protect your child's eye sight. Sunglasses help in 2 important ways. They filter light and they protect your eyes from damaging UV rays. Mounting evidence shows that exposure to UV rays can damage your eyes. Long-term exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration or skin cancer around the eyelids. Sunglasses should be worn when you are outdoors so you can protect your eyes. You should choose sunglasses that: reduce glare; filter out 99-100% of UV rays; protect your eyes; are comfortable to wear; do not distort colors.Be aware that if you are at the beach or on the ski slopes, you should wear sunglasses with a darker tint to block more light. Your risk of eye damage from the sun is greater because of reflection off the water and snow. Sunglasses makers do not always attach a tag or label stating the amount of UV radiation that sunglasses block. Only buy sunglasses that provide a clear statement about how much UV radiation is blocked.

(99) iCare Health Solution: https://myicarehealth.com/news/ AND https://myicarehealth.com/understanding-the-types-of-glaucoma/ AND https://myicarehealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Glaucoma-Social-Media-Toolkit.pdf

(98) National Eye Health Education Program: https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/gam/ AND https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/glaucoma/keep-vision-in-your-future-toolkit-download AND https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/ojo/kit-cuidemos-nuestros-ojos-del-glaucoma-toolkit-download AND https://www.glaucoma.org/

(97) Glaucoma Research Foundation: https://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/are-you-at-risk-for-glaucoma.php AND https://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/video-what-is-glaucoma.php AND https://www.glaucoma.org/news/blog/new-research-has-the-potential-to-improve-quality-of-life-through-minimally-invasive-glaucoma-surger.php

(96) Prevent Blindness: https://www.preventblindness.org/glaucoma AND https://www.preventblindness.org/whats-your-risk-vision-problem