Glaucoma Awareness
Month at Center for Sight
Center for Sight wants to focus patient’s
attention on glaucoma this month as January is National Glaucoma Awareness
Month. This is an important time to spread the word about this
sight-threatening disease. Glaucoma
is the leading cause of preventable
blindness. Moreover, among African American and Latino populations,
glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness overall. Of particular note is that
glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans than Caucasians. Over
4 million Americans, and nearly 70 million people worldwide, have
glaucoma. Experts estimate that half of
them don’t know they have it. Combined with our aging population, we can see an
epidemic of blindness looming if we don’t raise awareness about the importance
of regular eye examinations to preserve vision.
Our understanding of this disease, along
with the ways in which we can diagnose and treat it, has improved considerably.
Advanced diagnostic techniques such as in office optical coherence tomography
(OCT) to study the optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) make it
possible for us to detect glaucoma earlier and avoid vision loss through early
treatment. The availability of better treatment options including many new eye
drop medications, lasers and microscopic implants help us prevent glaucoma vision
loss.
If you, a relative or someone you know, is at
risk for glaucoma based on age, heredity or health, please schedule an eye exam
at Center for Sight 508-730-2020, visit Center for
Sight,
Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.
Center for Sight is conveniently located
at 1565
North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from
Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
