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To kick off Glaucoma Awareness Month in January, consultants are setting the file straight on some frequent myths about what the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) calls the “silent thief of sight.”
Approximately three million Americans have glaucoma.
Yet solely half of them are conscious they’ve the doubtlessly blinding illness, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Here’s the fact behind some frequent myths, based on glaucoma consultants.
Myth No. 1: People can inform after they’re creating glaucoma
Glaucoma has no signs in its early levels, the AAO shared with Fox News Digital in a press release.
The dysfunction, which is brought on by a gaggle of ocular situations that injury the optic nerve, is the second main trigger of blindness worldwide, per the CDC.
Approximately three million Americans have glaucoma, however solely half of them are conscious that they’ve the doubtlessly blinding illness. (iStock)
“The optic nerve is made of more than a million tiny nerve fibers,” the AAO acknowledged.
“It is like an electric cable made up of many small wires.”
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When the nerve fibers die, blind spots develop — however it’s usually not till later in the course of the illness that sufferers develop signs.
When all the nerve fibers die, the affected person loses his or her imaginative and prescient to glaucoma — and isn’t capable of see once more.
Myth No. 2: Young folks can’t get glaucoma
Anyone can get glaucoma, however the illness’s prevalence will increase with age.
“Glaucoma is a number one trigger of blindness for folks over 60 years outdated,” the AAO famous.
African Americans will not be solely six instances extra more likely to get glaucoma than Caucasian Americans, however they’re additionally extra more likely to develop the illness earlier in life, based on the CDC. (iStock)
Even infants can get glaucoma, with an estimated one in 10,000 infants born with the situation, based on The Glaucoma Foundation’s web site.
Myth No. 3: People can’t get glaucoma if there is no such thing as a household historical past
If somebody in the household has had glaucoma, everybody else, together with kids, must be examined for the eye illness, The Glaucoma Foundation advises.
Approximately 90% of blindness because of glaucoma might be prevented with early detection, analysis and immediate therapy.
But folks with out a household historical past are nonetheless in danger for the illness.
Some of the highest-risk teams embody those that: are age 40 or older; have had a earlier eye harm; are farsighted or nearsighted; have used steroids long-term; or have diabetes, migraines or hypertension, the AAO added.
Myth No. 4: Ethnicity is just not a danger issue
African Americans will not be solely six instances extra more likely to get glaucoma than Caucasian Americans, however they’re additionally extra more likely to develop the illness earlier in life, based on the CDC.
Caused by a gaggle of ocular situations that injury the optic nerve, glaucoma is the second main trigger of blindness worldwide. (iStock)
Asian Americans are additionally at excessive danger for creating glaucoma.
And current analysis has discovered that the situation is way more frequent in Hispanics than beforehand thought.
Myth No. 5: Glaucoma all the time means having elevated stress in the eye
There are many sorts of glaucoma, however the one factor all of them have in frequent is injury to the optic nerve.
Not all of them essentially contain elevated eye stress, in any other case referred to as intraocular eye stress (IOP), though many of them do.
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The eye continuously makes aqueous humor (clear, water-like fluid), and as new aqueous flows in, the identical quantity ought to drain out, the AAO famous.
“In a healthy eye, fluid leaves the eye through the drainage angle, keeping pressure stable,” the academy mentioned in a press release.
“But if the drainage angle is not working properly, fluid builds up.”
The eye continuously makes aqueous humor (clear, water-like fluid), in order new aqueous flows in, the identical quantity ought to drain out, the AAO famous. (iStock)
When the stress turns into too intense, the delicate organ offers at its weakest level the place the optic nerve leaves the eye, based on The Glaucoma Foundation.
While most varieties of glaucoma create elevated stress because of the backup of fluid, not all instances are related to IOP.
“Glaucoma specialists believe that some forms of glaucoma are strongly related to vascular changes and impaired ‘nutrition’ (poor blood flow) to the optic nerve,” The Glaucoma Foundation famous in a press release.
Myth No. 6: Only folks with hypertension can have elevated eye stress
People with hypertension don’t essentially have elevated eye pressures — and there are folks with elevated eye pressures who should not have hypertension, consultants say.
Those who do have elevated eye pressures must be monitored to ensure they don’t develop glaucoma.
People with elevated eye pressures could haven’t any indicators of eye injury, the AAO famous.
Getting common eye exams may help your ophthalmologist detect the beginnings of the illness earlier than imaginative and prescient loss happens, the AAO famous. (iStock)
“These patients are considered ‘glaucoma suspects’ and have a higher risk of eventually developing glaucoma,” the academy mentioned.
“Controlling blood pressure does not mean IOP is controlled,” The Glaucoma Foundation added.
Myth No. 7: If you could have glaucoma, you’ll turn into blind
Glaucoma is the main trigger of preventable blindness. Approximately 90% of blindness because of glaucoma might be prevented with early detection, analysis and immediate therapy, per The Glaucoma Foundation.
The situation can usually be managed with eyedrop treatment.
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“When you use drops for glaucoma, these are often meant to be lifelong eye medications,” Nishika Reddy, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology at Moran Eye Center’s Midvalley Health Center at The University of Utah, advised Fox News Digital.
“While you will not notice a change in your vision while using the drops, trust that they are working to prevent this disease from progressing,” she additionally mentioned.
Glaucoma is the second main trigger of blindness worldwide.
Reddy emphasised the significance of telling your eye physician about any drugs you are .c.urrently taking — particularly steroids, bronchial asthma drugs or allergy drugs, as these can have an effect on eye stress.
Advancements towards a treatment
Promising new analysis from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear at Mass General Brigham has highlighted the potential of restoring imaginative and prescient in the future after somebody with glaucoma develops blindness.
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In a current research printed in the journal PNAS, a workforce of researchers reworked stem cells from the blood into specialised eye cells in mice that have been succesful of touring and surviving in the retina after they have been transplanted, based on a press launch.
The situation can usually be managed with eyedrop treatment, which is often taken for a lifetime. (iStock)
“We realized that the adult and diseased eye is not the most hospitable environment for the transplant, and our multidisciplinary team figured out the way to fertilize the host retina to support and guide donor cells into the right place,” senior creator Petr Baranov, M.D., PhD, of Mass Eye and Ear — additionally an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School — advised Fox News Digital.
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While greater than three million folks at the moment have glaucoma in the U.S., that quantity is anticipated to develop to 4.2 million by 2030, based on the National Eye Institute.
Getting common eye exams may help your ophthalmologist detect the beginnings of the illness earlier than imaginative and prescient loss happens, the AAO famous.
For extra Health articles, go to www.foxnews.com/well being.
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