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National Glaucoma Awareness Month Gives Service Members a Chance to Focus on Eye Health

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  • By health.mil
WASHINGTON --  It's a disease that affects more than 2 million Americans with no known cure, but only half of them actually know they have it. During January's National Glaucoma Awareness Month, military health officials say while there might not be a cure, there are ways to prevent further or permanent loss of vision with medication and/or surgery.

"Though there is no cure for glaucoma, there are some treatments which can delay the loss of vision," says Dr. Mary Lawrence, deputy director for the Vision Center of Excellence at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. "Medicines in the form of eye drops or pills are the most common treatments, however, they do not restore sight already lost from glaucoma."  

Lawrence adds that the disease can affect anyone at any age. "Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, from infants to seniors," says Lawrence, "Older people are at a higher risk for glaucoma, but babies can be born with the disease. African Americans in particular are susceptible at a younger age."

Lawrence goes on to say that service members who have family members who have or have had glaucoma should be checked on a regular basis because they are 30 percent more likely to develop the disease. Other high risk groups for glaucoma include people over the age of 60 and Mexican Americans. The reason why the prevalence of glaucoma in Mexican and African-Americans compared to other ethnic groups is unknown, however knowledge of this is helpful with detecting the disease and getting treatment. Lawrence states people under the age of 40 should get tested every two to four years. People who have high-risk factors should be tested every one to two years after the age of 35.

Lawrence says that blunt eye trauma and blast trauma from combat can also increase a service member's chances of contracting glaucoma. "There are 1.2 million neurons in each eye, and with the trauma that a blast can cause, these vision receptors to the brain can be permanently damaged," she said.

While there are several types of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease. Fluid build-up on the optic nerve leaves the chamber at the open angle where the cornea and iris meet. Other forms of glaucoma include normal or low-tension glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, and angle-closure glaucoma, which can cause severe pain, nausea, redness of the eye and blurred vision. Persons suffering from angle-closure glaucoma need to seek treatment immediately.

Lawrence feels good eye health is essential to having a better, more efficient military.  "The wellness of our service members is vital to us maintaining an elite global fighting force," said Lawrence. "So it is very important that during National Glaucoma Awareness Month, service members make sure to get tested."