Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and a major source of morbidity and disability in the United States. 6 to 13% of people with glaucoma become legally blind.

There are no symptoms until people reach end-stage glaucoma. In most cases, your eye doctor will diagnose you with glaucoma before you experience any symptoms.  As glaucoma advances, people start to lose their peripheral vision until eventually, it’s like looking through a toilet paper tube.

The estimated overall prevalence of glaucoma in the US civilian, noninstitutionalized population 40 years of age and older is 2.1%

Glaucoma is most commonly found in:

• people over age 40
• African Americans
• Hispanics
• diabetics
• people with high blood pressure
• people with high eye pressure
• people with large optic nerves
• people with asymmetrically sized optic nerves
• people with a family history of glaucoma

There is no cure for glaucoma, but treatment can dramatically slow the course of the disease. Glaucoma is managed with prescription eye drops, laser surgery, or traditional surgery to lower the eye pressure. Because glaucoma is a chronic condition, people need to take their glaucoma medication for the rest of their life.

On average, glaucoma advances 1.5% each year. It takes over 20 years for the average glaucoma patient to reach severe peripheral vision loss.

The best thing you can do is get a yearly eye exam so that your eye doctor can diagnose you and initiate treatment if necessary. About half of people with glaucoma don’t realize that they have it. Unfortunately, there is no special diet or vitamins that will prevent you from developing glaucoma. Early diagnosis and treatment provides the best prognosis.