Eye Care Update: January is Glaucoma Awareness Month!

It's that special time of year when we educate our patients about the dangers of glaucoma and the value of eye care. At Family Vision Associates, we take our role as a Corpus Christi eye doctor very seriously. We believe it's a part of our job to educate the public about glaucoma. Understanding the symptoms of glaucoma and how you can protect yourself from this terrible disease can help you keep your eye sight.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when the drainage canals of the eyes become clogged, increasing the internal eye pressure. When this happens, damage is inflicted on the optic nerve. Glaucoma is a condition of the eyes that results in vision loss starting with the peripheral vision. Many people never notice that their peripheral vision has deteriorated until they've already lost visual acuity in their center field of vision.

Symptoms of Glaucoma and High Risk Populations

The symptoms of glaucoma include hazy vision, sudden vision loss, pain in the eyes, nausea, vomiting and the appearance of many-colored rings around bright lights. However, glaucoma may not have noticeable symptoms at first, and when symptoms do appear, the damage has already been done.

Over four million people get glaucoma every year. Anyone can get glaucoma, but the people who are most likely to have it include relatives of glaucoma victims, African Americans and Latinos, people with diabetes and seniors. If you're one of the people in these groups, talk to your optometrist about how you can prevent glaucoma.

Prevention in Corpus Christi

Regular eye checkups can be used to detect glaucoma before the damage is substantial, and treatment can be administered. At your Corpus Christi Optometrist, Family Vision Associates, we perform tests on patients to find out whether or not they have glaucoma. If they do, we help them with all the latest medical treatments. For more information about how Family Vision Associates can help protect you from glaucoma, contact your Corpus Christi optometrist today!