By 00004000 the time we reach age 75, half of us have cataracts, ten percent of us have macular degeneration and six percent have glaucoma. The frightening aspect of glaucoma is that if undetected it can lead to total loss of sight. Obtaining an early diagnosis and treatment for glaucoma can reduce the chances of optic nerve damage that can lead to blindness.
Four Glaucoma Prevention Tips
Risk factors for glaucoma, like age, race and family history are things that are not in our control, but the Mayo Clinic has a list of four things that the average person can do to help prevent the disease. Those include:
- Get regular eye exams - have an eye exam every two years between the ages of 18 and 60; above 60 years, every year; and if one or more risk factors are present, seek testing every one to two years and then every year thereafter.
- Control weight and blood pressure - studies show that insulin resistance is linked to elevated intraocular pressure.
- Treat elevated eye pressure - the National Eye Institute (NEI) found that glaucoma eye drops could reduce eye pressure by an average of 22 percent.
- Use eye protection - protecting the eyes is important for reducing serious eye injuries that can lead to glaucoma.
Know if You are at High Risk for Glaucoma
Those who fall into one of the high risk groups should be seen yearly by an ophthalmologist. The groups include:
- Eye injury patients
- Over the age of 60
- Diabetic or diagnosed with high blood pressure
- Older Hispanic Americans
- Family history of glaucoma
- Steroid user
- Severely near-sighted
- African-Americans - more than three times as likely as Caucasians to acquire glaucoma
For some African-Americans that have an even higher risk, due to additional factors in their health background, studies have shown that annual eye exams are imperative at
the age of 40 and beyond. The 2004 findings in a large-scale and long-term analysis, published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, show that African-Americans in higher risk groups could benefit from daily eye drops that lower intraocular pressure. These eye drops could delay or even prevent glaucoma for this high risk group.
Available Eye Drop Treatments for Glaucoma
Ophthalmologists often prescribe medicated eye drops that are to be administered daily. In some cases, more than one eye drop will be recommended and doctors will give instructions about the length of time to wait before applying the second one. Some of these eye drop types include:
- Beta blockers
- Alpha-agonists
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Prostaglandin-like compounds
- Miotic or cholinergic agents
- Epinephrine compounds
Oral medications may also be prescribed if eye drops alone don't bring down the pressure. To learn more about the various medications and treatments for glaucoma, please visit the Katzen Eye Group website serving the residents in and around Baltimore, Maryland.