Nearly half of Americans who currently have glaucoma are unaware of their condition. Why?

• Most types of glaucoma are painless, with no feelings of discomfort.
• Glaucoma typically affects peripheral vision first, so many people remain unaware of the disease until their central vision is affected.
• Glaucoma is often associated with aging, and patients often perceive subtle vision changes as a result of normal aging.
• For many people, professional eye care can be difficult to obtain or too expensive.

Educate your patients about glaucoma risk factors and the importance of regular comprehensive eye examinations.

Risk factors:

• Over age 60
• Family history of glaucoma
• Diabetes
• People of black African, black Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian descent
• History of eye injuries
• History of multiple eye surgeries for chronic eye conditions
• High myopia or hyperopia
• Chronic steroid use

Guidelines for routine monitoring:

• If no risk factors are present, start regular comprehensive eye exams or screenings BY age 40, repeat every 3-5 years.
• If any risk factors are present, start regular comprehensive eye exams or screenings BEFORE age 40, repeat every 3-5 years. After age 65, repeat every 2 years.
• If of black African descent, black Caribbean descent, Latino, or Asian, start regular comprehensive eye exams or screenings in your 20s or 30s, repeat every 3-5 years.