East Texas Lighthouse | East Texas advocates share importance of glaucoma awareness

08 Jan East Texas advocates share importance of glaucoma awareness

Posted at 11:44h in news by ETLB Admin 0 Comments

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Author: JD Conte

KLTV

Published: January 3, 2024

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, dedicated to spreading knowledge of the disease that, according to the CDC, affects almost 3,000,000 Americans and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Glaucoma is a disease that attacks the eye’s optic nerves, which can lead to vision loss and blindness, according to the CDC. It is sometimes called “the silent thief” of vision because many people do not know they have the disease due to a frequent lack of early symptoms.

“You can lose up to 40% of your vision before you even realize that it’s gone, so catching it early is really important,” said Alicia Lansford, the Chief Mission Officer for The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind. “It is a permanent cause of blindness; sometimes surgery and treatment can make it a little better, maybe stabilize it for a little while, but the vision loss is permanent and it is progressive.”

The disease is most prevalent in older Americans, Langford says, along with certain minority groups.

“It’s common over the age of 60. African Americans are six to eight times more likely to have it than Caucasians, and family history is a big indicator, so it’s really important for people to talk to their parents their grandparents,” said Langford.

The only way to detect the disease is through a fully-dilated eye exam. The Lighthouse has partnered with PATH to provide free screenings to low-income and uninsured individuals. For more information, click here.

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08 Jan East Texas advocates share importance of glaucoma awareness

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