January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is usually a painless, symptomless, gradual loss of your vision so there is no wonder it is often referred to as the silent thief of sight. Often as much as 40% of a person’s vision can be lost before they notice anything has happened.  Unfortunately, this loss of sight is permanent.  Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the US.  More than 2.2 million people have glaucoma in the US with only half of them knowing it.  The best way to detect glaucoma is with regular comprehensive eye examinations, especially if you are at greater risk of developing the disease.  Those at higher risk include:

–          People over the age of 60

–          African Americans

–          People with diabetes

–          Anyone with a family history of glaucoma

Early detection of the disease is critical to the success of treatment.  While there is no cure, early intervention can slow and even stop the progression of vision loss.  There are several treatment options, but the most common treatment is with eye drops – usually as few as once a day. 

If you or a loved one falls into one of the high-risk categories above and you have not had an eye exam in over a year, please call our office at 843-388-6200 to schedule your appointment or use our convenient online scheduler.