Glaucoma: The Sneak Thief of Sight

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about one of the leading causes of permanent blindness worldwide. Glaucoma has earned the nickname “The Sneak Thief of Sight” because it often causes irreversible damage to your vision without any noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Up to 40 percent of your vision could be lost before you realize something is wrong. For residents of Paradise and the greater Las Vegas area, understanding this disease and getting regular screenings are essential steps toward protecting your eyesight.

What Is Glaucoma and How Does It Affect Vision?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which is the cable that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Over time, this damage leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss, typically starting with peripheral (side) vision.

One of the most important things to understand about glaucoma is that most types cause no obvious symptoms until significant damage has already occurred. Many people expect they would experience headaches or eye pain, but this is a common misconception. Of the several types of glaucoma, only acute angle-closure glaucoma typically presents with sudden pain, nausea, and blurred vision. Open-angle glaucoma, which is the most common form, develops gradually and painlessly.

How Is Glaucoma Detected and Treated?

While there is no cure for glaucoma, effective treatments are available to slow or halt further vision loss when the disease is caught early. Treatment options include prescription eye drops that lower eye pressure, and in more advanced cases, your eye doctor may refer you for laser procedures or surgical co-management. However, any vision already lost to glaucoma typically cannot be restored, which is why early detection is critical.

Glaucoma screening involves more than just the familiar air-puff test used to measure eye pressure. In fact, some people develop glaucoma even with normal eye pressure. A thorough glaucoma evaluation may include:

• Tonometry to measure intraocular pressure
• OCT imaging to assess the optic nerve and surrounding nerve fiber layer
• Visual field testing to check for areas of vision loss
• Gonioscopy to examine the drainage angle of the eye
• Pachymetry to measure corneal thickness, which can affect pressure readings

These tests are painless and allow your eye doctor to detect glaucoma before you notice any symptoms yourself.

Who Is at Higher Risk for Glaucoma?

While anyone can develop glaucoma, certain factors increase your risk. Being aware of these risk factors can help you and your eye doctor decide how frequently you should be screened:

• Age over 60 (over 40 for people of African descent)
• Family history of glaucoma
• African or Hispanic heritage
• Previous eye injury or eye surgery, including childhood injuries
• Diabetes
• High nearsightedness or farsightedness
• Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications, including eye drops, pills, or creams
• Thin corneas or elevated eye pressure found on a previous exam

If you have one or more of these risk factors, let your eye doctor know so they can tailor your screening schedule accordingly.

Lifestyle Habits That Support Eye Health

While you cannot entirely prevent glaucoma, maintaining a healthy lifestyle supports overall eye health and may reduce some risk factors:

• Do not smoke, as smoking is linked to increased eye pressure and optic nerve damage.
• Stay physically active with regular exercise, as moderate activity has been associated with healthier eye pressure levels.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Protect your eyes from UV exposure by wearing sunglasses outdoors.
• Eat a balanced diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids.
• Most importantly, get regular comprehensive eye exams. Make sure to share your full medical and family history with your eye doctor.

Take the Next Step Toward Glaucoma Prevention

Even if you have clear vision and no symptoms, a comprehensive eye exam is the only reliable way to detect glaucoma early. This Glaucoma Awareness Month, consider taking these steps:

• Review your personal risk factors using the list above.
• Schedule a comprehensive eye exam and discuss glaucoma screening with your eye doctor, especially if it has been more than a year since your last visit.
• Adopt the healthy lifestyle habits outlined above.
• Share what you have learned with friends and family so they can also take steps to protect their vision.

At Insight Vision Optometry, Las Vegas, our team provides thorough glaucoma evaluations using advanced diagnostic technology, including OCT optic nerve imaging and visual field the area for patients in the area and throughout the our community valley. To schedule your eye exam, call 702-747-4070 .