- Glaucoma prevalence increases with age. All individuals over 35-40 years of age should undergo an eye examination.
- Siblings of an individual with glaucoma are at greater risk.
- African ancestry may be at higher risk for open angle glaucoma
- Chinese ancestry may be at higher risk for angle closure glaucoma
- Individuals that are very nearsighted or very farsighted may be at higher risk for glaucoma
- Individuals with elevated intraocular pressure.
Important message for glaucoma patients
It is important for you to get yourself regularly screened for glaucoma. If you have been diagnosed to have glaucoma, effective treatment options are now available and regular treatment and follow up can help you to preserve your vision for your lifetime, avoiding unnecessary fear of going blind.
You can live happily with glaucoma and enjoy an excellent quality of life, particularly if the disease is detected early and treated in time. Always remember that once you have glaucoma, you will have to be under the care of an eye doctor for the rest of your life.
There is a lot of research going on and new treatments may become available for glaucoma in the near future.
World Glaucoma Association
www.worldglaucoma.org
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