If You Have Diabetes, Your Risk For Glaucoma May Be Higher

An estimated 3million Americans have glaucoma, which can stealthily cause visionloss even before people realize they have the disease. People withdiabetes face special risks from glaucoma. This January duringGlaucoma Awareness Month, through its EyeSmart(TM) campaign, theAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology in partnership with the AmericanGlaucoma Society and the Glaucoma Research Foundation, remindAmericans that knowing your glaucoma risks can save your sight andthat people with diabetes need to be extra-vigilant.

“Only about half of the people who now have glaucoma are aware thatthey do,” said James Heltzer, MD, a glaucoma specialist in Bethesda,Maryland, and an Academy clinical correspondent. “To end blindnessfrom glaucoma, we need millions more Americans to become aware ofthis disease and get eye exams in time. It’s even more important forpeople with diabetes.”

Both diabetes and glaucoma are leading causes of blindness. In theirearly stages these diseases often have few symptoms, so damage mayoccur before people know they need treatment. Several large studiessuggest that people with diabetes are more likely to developglaucoma, and other data shows that glaucoma patients who arediabetic are more likely to suffer vision damage. If caught early,diabetes and glaucoma can usually be managed and vision can be saved.

Luis Quinones, a painting contractor, learned he had diabetes when hewas 46, about 10 years ago. He visits his Eye M.D. (ophthalmologist)regularly so any vision problems he might develop can be dealt withright away. A few years ago his doctor found that both of Luis’ eyeshad high intraocular pressure (IOP), a key sign of glaucoma. A laserprocedure followed by eye drop medications successfully reduced hisIOP until last year, when Luis noticed blurry vision in his right eyeand had painful headaches for the first time in his life.

“We tried different eye drops, but my problems didn’t get better,”Luis said. “My doctor sent me to Dr. Heltzer, a glaucoma expert, andhe put in a small tube to help with fluid drainage. Now I can seewell again, and the headaches are gone. I use one kind of eye drop inthe morning and another in the evening.” Dr. Heltzer explained thatLuis has neovascular glaucoma, a condition seen most often in peoplewith diabetes. Fortunately it can now be treated with drainageimplants, lasers and medications called VEFG inhibitors, so it is nolonger necessarily a blinding condition.

An annual dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss from glaucomaand other eye diseases in people with diabetes. To promote awarenessthe Academy, along with partners the American Society of RetinaSpecialists, the Macula Society and the Retina Society, has launchedEyeSmart EyeCommitted, a social media campaign to encourage peoplewith diabetes to pledge to get an eye exam every year. TheEyeCommitted campaign includes an interactive application that:Encourages taking the EyeCommitted pledge to have an annual diabetic eye exam.
Allows users to share the pledge and campaign information with friends and family.
Features important diabetic eye disease information and a new video that tells the compelling stories of two patients with diabetic retinopathy.
Allows users to post the application onto their preferred social media sites. For each pledge, the Academy will commit $1 to its diabetic eye health education efforts.

About GlaucomaGlaucoma damages the optic nerve that transmits images from the eyeto the brain. As glaucoma worsens, cells also die in the retina — aspecial, light-sensitive area of the eye — which further reduces theoptic nerve’s function. In the most common form of the disease,primary open-angle glaucoma, often a patient first notices that herperipheral vision is reduced, then that other areas of her visualfield are blank. But in many people glaucoma-related vision changesare so gradual that they go unnoticed, which is why regular eye examsare so important. Symptoms of the less common but more immediatelydangerous closed-angle glaucoma include blurred vision, severe eyepain and headache, rainbow-colored halos around lights, and nauseaand vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms needs to be seen by an EyeM.D. right away.

EyeCare America is a public service program of the Foundation of theAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology. Its Glaucoma EyeCare Programpromotes early detection and treatment of glaucoma. It also raisesawareness of risk factors, provides free educational materials andfacilitates access to a glaucoma eye examination. To find out if youare eligible for a free glaucoma eye exam, call the toll-free helpline at 1-800-391-EYES (3937). The EyeCare America help line operatesall day, every day, year-round.

The Glaucoma EyeCare Program is designed for people who:Are U.S. citizens or legal residents. Have not had an eye exam in 12 months or more. Are at increased risk for glaucoma as determined by risk factors that include family history, race, and age. *Those eligible for a referral through the glaucoma program receivean eye exam and the initiation of treatment, if deemed necessary. Uninsured patients will receive this care at no charge. Patients withinsurance will be billed and are responsible for any co-paymentsand/or the cost of the eye examination. For more on EyeCare Americavisit http://www.eyecareamerica.org

More information on glaucoma and how to preserve vision, as well ashow to access care, is on the Academy-sponsored web sitewww.geteyesmart.org. Information is also available from:American Glaucoma Society
The Glaucoma Research Foundation Source:
American Academy of Ophthalmology

source : www.medicalnewstoday.com

Related News:

Details :
Submited at Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at 7:00 am on Ophthalmology by admin
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback

Leave Comment Here...