January 2025 – Glaucoma Awareness Month

More than 2.8 million Americans age 40 and older have glaucoma. Nearly half do not know they have the disease as it causes no early symptoms.

Glaucoma is a serious, lifelong eye disease that can lead to vision loss if not controlled. But for most people, glaucoma does not have to lead to blindness. That is because glaucoma is controllable with modern treatment, and there are many choices to help keep glaucoma from further damaging your eyes. Treatment cannot reverse damage that has already occurred, but it can prevent further vision loss. Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes loss of sight by damaging a part of the eye called the optic nerve. This nerve sends information from your eyes to your brain. When glaucoma damages your optic nerve, you begin to lose patches of vision, usually side vision (peripheral vision).

The older you are, the greater you are at risk (especially if you are over 60 years old). African Americans are at a greater risk at a younger age, starting at age 40 and older. To learn more about glaucoma and the risks, please click here.