Don’t ignore importance of National Glaucoma Month

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Brownielock.com offers a list of all the January monthly observances, like National Polka Month, National Mentoring Month, and National Volunteer Blood Donor Month. It also lists a variety of slightly more obscure distinctions, like Apple and Apricots Month, National Clean Up Your Computer Month, and the ever popular Oatmeal Month. Additionally, few people realize that Jan. 4 is Tom Thumb Day, Jan. 8 is Argyle Day, and Jan. 16 is Appreciate a Dragon Day. Buried deep in this pile of fascinating but questionably useful information is the vital fact that January is, above all, Glaucoma Awareness Month.
Although it cannot hold a candle to the excitement of Bath Safety Month, Glaucoma Awareness Month aims to draw attention to this serious but unglamorous eye disease that still ranks as a leading cause of blindness in America and worldwide. Causing no pain or other obvious symptoms, glaucoma often goes undiagnosed for years, allowing high pressure in the eye to cause irreversible optic nerve damage and permanent vision loss.
Even though glaucoma causes no pain, tearing, blurred vision, discomfort, or symptoms of any kind, the disease is a very slowly progressive process and early treatment is very effective. Risk factors include a family history of glaucoma, cigarette smoking, African-American heritage, diabetes, nearsightedness, history of eye trauma, and systemic prednisone treatment of things like asthma or rheumatoid arthritis.
Fortunately, a routine eye exam includes glaucoma screening testing and most cases can be caught early and treatment can reduce the risk of disease progression and preserve vision. High pressure in the eye, combined with other factors that are still unclear, can damage the optic nerve in the back of the eye. This damage to the nerve is irreversible and can lead to gradual, progressive loss of peripheral vision. As the damage progresses, the peripheral vision loss progresses until only a small island of vision remains and, if untreated, blindness can result.
With early diagnosis and treatment, however, more than 95 percent of glaucoma patients preserve normal vision throughout their lives. Although there is no cure, eye drops once or twice daily can lower pressure and slow the disease adequately. Routine follow-up exams should include pressure measurements, visual field testing, and a scan of the nerve to monitor for thinning of the tissue, a sign that damage is ongoing. Low pressure with stable testing is the treatment goal.
So as you lace them up for National Skating Month, settle in for National Hot Tea Month, or get revved up for National Get Organized Month, take the time for an eye exam and have a glaucoma check. Although it is fun to Dress Up Your Pet (Jan. 14), Learn Your Name in Morse Code (Jan. 11), and Clean Off Your Desk (Jan. 9), you won’t be able to Blame Someone Else (Jan. 13) if you neglect your eye care and World Braille Day (Jan. 4) takes on a whole new meaning for you.

— Michael G. Richie, M.D., is an ophthalmologist at Richie Eye Clinic in Faribault. He may be reached at 332-9900.