Prevent Blindness Joins January’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month Efforts to Combat the “Silent Thief of Sight”

(PRESS RELEASE) CHICAGO — As part of January’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month, Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading patient advocacy organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, is providing patients, care partners, and allied health professionals with free educational resources on the condition.

According to the National Eye Institute, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve. Generally, symptoms begin slowly, usually starting with loss of peripheral (side) vision. It is sometimes referred to as the “Silent Thief of Sight” because people with glaucoma often do not notice vision loss in its early stages.

There are several types of glaucoma, with the two most common being Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Angle-Closure Glaucoma. Other important types include Normal-Tension Glaucoma and Secondary Glaucoma, caused by injury or other conditions like diabetes. While rare, glaucoma can also occur in children and includes Congenital Glaucoma in babies.

Common risk factors for glaucoma include:

• Age: 60 years or older (over age 40 for Black or African Americans)
• Race/Ethnicity: African American, Hispanic, Asian, or of Native American descent
• Family History: Parent, brother, sister, or anyone related by blood with glaucoma
• Medical History: History of high pressure in your eyes, previous eye injury, long term steroid use, head trauma, or nearsightedness
• Diabetes: Adults with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma. The risk increases with the amount of time someone has had diabetes.

“There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, as with many eye diseases and conditions, early detection and treatment can slow significant vision loss,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “That’s why access to affordable quality eyecare is essential for everyone.”

Prevent Blindness offers a vast collection of free expert-approved resources including downloadable fact sheets, a listing of glaucoma financial assistance resources, shareable social media graphics
, and a dedicated webpage.

Prevent Blindness and Responsum Health invite the public to join “The Glaucoma Community,” a free platform that provides educational glaucoma content, a personalized newsfeed, the moderated “Community Chat,” and a dedicated Facebook group. The Community is offered in multiple languages and is available via a web browser or through a free mobile app for Apple or Android users.

On January 20, at 3 p.m. ET, Prevent Blindness will host the free webinar, “Critical Conversations About Glaucoma.” This discussion is thoughtfully designed for people living with glaucoma, their care partners, and family members, and offers practical guidance, reassurance, and support.

Topics include:

• understanding glaucoma from the start,
• how to describe vision changes,
• proper use of glaucoma eye drops,
• managing the emotional impact of a diagnosis,
• talking with family about hereditary risk and eye exams.

The “Critical Conversations About Glaucoma” webinar will be moderated by Hillary A. Golden, Founder of Glaucoma Coach, and Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program graduate. Speakers will include Karen Allison MD, MBA, FACS, Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, and Prevent Blindness Board of Directors member, and Pathik P. Amin, OD, FAAO, Visiting Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma Service, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago.Register at PreventBlindness.org/glaucoma-webinar.

Also new this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Angeline H. shares her experience with glaucoma, including her diagnosis, and the importance of timely resources in coping and adjusting in “Glaucoma: Angeline’s Story.”

Additional videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:

• “Focus on Eye Health Patient Story: Glaucoma” with Prevent Blindness Associate Director of Eye Health Services, Tasha R. Lockridge, sharing her glaucoma diagnosis and treatment journey.
• “Glaucoma and Public Health” with Dr. Karen Allison.
• “Understanding Glaucoma” and “Information and Resources for Glaucoma Patients” featuring Constance Okeke, MD, MSCE, glaucoma specialist at Virginia Eye Consultants, and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

For more information and materials on glaucoma, visit PreventBlindness.org/glaucoma. For information on glaucoma financial assistance programs in English and Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/glaucoma-help.