{"id":1632,"date":"2017-01-19T19:09:52","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T19:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/8\/?p=1632"},"modified":"2021-09-29T03:33:46","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T03:33:46","slug":"prevent-vision-loss-glaucoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/8\/illinois\/chicagoland-naperville\/blog\/prevent-vision-loss-glaucoma\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Vision Loss from Glaucoma"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Glaucoma\"Did you know that glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable<\/em> vision loss and blindness in the United States? There are approximately 3 million people in the United States alone (60 million worldwide) who have glaucoma, with half of them not even knowing they have the disease. Of the 60 million people worldwide, 13% are blind. According to the National Eye Institute, the number of cases of glaucoma will increase almost 60% in the next 25 years.<\/p>\n

What makes this disease a \u2018sight-stealer\u2019 is that many people don\u2019t even know they have it since there are no symptoms in its early stages. In fact, a person could lose up to 40% of their vision without even noticing! Yes, almost half of a person\u2019s eyesight could be lost and they would not know it. What\u2019s worse is that once vision has been lost due to glaucoma, it cannot be restored.<\/p>\n

Glaucoma tends to affect middle-aged and older adults, but it can affect people of all ages. Vision loss associated with this disease is irreversible because it damages the optic nerve, which is what is used to carry the images you see to the brain. It\u2019s like fraying a power cable to your television; as more damage occurs, the picture gets worse. If the cable becomes completely frayed, you won\u2019t get a signal at all.<\/p>\n

Although there is currently no cure for glaucoma, it can be treated with medication or surgery to slow or prevent further vision loss. If caught early, a person might have little to no vision loss.<\/p>\n

During National Glaucoma Awareness Month, we want to share a couple tips to help you avoid suffering from this preventable disease:<\/p>\n