Glaucoma is a type of eye disease that causes fluid and pressure to build up in the eye. The pressure eventually damages the optic nerve. The optic nerve connects the retinas of each eye to your brain and transmits the images you see. Did you know that optic nerve damage can cause blindness?

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, behind only cataracts. Do you know anyone who is blind?

Glaucoma is often referred to as the "silent thief of sight". It often goes unnoticed for a long time, doing silent damage to a person's sight without them knowing. At the beginning, it's painless and doesn't cause any discomfort. Vision is not blurry in the early stages. The disease can do a lot of damage before the patient even knows they have it. Is that information disturbing?

Glaucoma has multiple risk factors although you can get glaucoma even if none of the risk factors apply to you. Some of the risk factors include; 1. Family history of glaucoma 2. Age - people over 40 have a higher risk and risk continues to rise as an individual gets older 3. Some health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, migraines, and heart disease raise your risk of glaucoma 4. Some types of glaucoma can be caused by eye injuries or trauma 5. Thin corneas raise your risk 6. Being severely near or far sighted may raise your risk. Do you know anyone with Glaucoma?

The best way of protecting yourself from Glaucoma is to have your eyes examined on a regular basis. It's a good idea to see an eye doctor at least every two years, have your eyes dilated, and have your eye pressure checked. Vision loss from glaucoma is not reversible and glaucoma is not curable. There are treatments that can slow or stop damage from happening though including surgery and medication. Have you ever been screened for glaucoma?