January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and we’re sharing all the information you need about this eye disease, including steps you can take to prevent and treat it.
Glaucoma affects approximately 400,000 Canadians and 67 million people worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of blindness. Educating yourself about glaucoma and understanding the risks associated with it are crucial steps to safeguarding and protecting your eye health.
What is glaucoma?
Simply put, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve, causing the loss of nerve cells and potentially leading to blindness. The exact cause of these diseases is not fully understood, but some theories suggest insufficient blood supply or poor perfusion, which is the passage of fluid through the circulatory system.
Typically, glaucoma occurs when the eye fails to drain fluid properly. This happens due to an inefficient drainage system, which slows the rate at which fluid exits the eye. As a result, fluid accumulates, leading to increased intraocular pressure (IOP).
This pressure damages the optic nerve, impairing its function and potentially causing loss of peripheral vision or blurred vision. Vision loss often begins in the peripheral visual field, serving as a warning sign that glaucoma may be present or developing. Fortunately, regular eye exams can often detect this eye disease long before any vision loss is noticed by the patient.
