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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma—a group of diseases that causes optic nerve damage, sight impairment, and eventual vision loss—is most common in individuals over 60. Glaucoma cannot be cured, but symptoms can be lessened or prevented with early detection and treatment. Some optometrists say that regular exercise, not smoking, and eating more dark green vegetables can lessen an individual’s risk of getting glaucoma. Medicare covers once-a-year glaucoma screenings for those at risk, including individuals with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, African American individuals aged 50+, and Hispanic American individuals aged 65+. The Glaucoma Foundation recommends that at-risk individuals see their doctor to be screened, as symptoms of the disease are not always immediately apparent. |
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