Glaucoma Awareness Month highlights ‘sneak thief of sight’
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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time to spread awareness about a disease that accounts for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the U.S., according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.
Glaucoma is known as the “sneak thief of sight,” the foundation said, because there are no early symptoms. It is also the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting more than 80 million people worldwide.
According to the National Eye Institute, 50% of people with glaucoma are unaware they have the disease, which can only be detected through a comprehensive dilated eye examination and has no cure.
To help raise awareness this month, Prevent Blindness is offering free educational materials, including a promotional toolkit consisting of printable flyers, PowerPoint slides and social media graphics and texts. The organization also released its “Focus on Eye Health Patient Story: Glaucoma” video, with Tasha R. Lockridge, associate director of eye health services at Prevent Blindness.
In addition, two episodes of the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert series, “Understanding Glaucoma” and “Information and Resources for Glaucoma Patients,” are available and will feature Constance Okeke, MD, MSCE, from Virginia Eye Consultants.
“With early detection and adherence to treatment, sight can be saved from glaucoma,” Jeff Todd, president and CEO at Prevent Blindness, said in an organization press release. “We invite everyone to utilize our free resources to learn about glaucoma and the steps that must be taken today to preserve vision for years to come.”
References:
- Glaucoma Awareness Month. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-resources/glaucoma-resources/glaucoma-awareness-month. Published Dec. 29, 2023. Accessed Jan. 2, 2024.
- January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. https://glaucoma.org/january-is-glaucoma-awareness-month/. Published Oct. 24, 2023. Accessed Jan. 2, 2024.
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