Health News
- Clinics In 9 Appalachian Counties Will Offer High-tech Eye Screenings To Head Off Common Ailment That Blinds Diabetics
Kentucky has one of the nation's highest rates of diabetes, but half the diabetics in rural Kentucky don't have annual eye exams ? even though nearly 30 percent of diabetics over 40 have diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness...
- After Surgery, Things Are Looking Up
Editor's Note: Marketing Department writer Sandra Crockett had eye surgery in May at the Krieger Eye Institute and is sharing her experience with our blog readers. You can read about her preparing for surgery here. It was all worth it. The four separate...
- All In Favor, Say Eye
Several initiatives allowed residents in Baltimore County and the city of Baltimore to have their eyes screened in 2009. The Eyes Have It program, created by the Polakoff Foundation, offers monthly free glaucoma screenings at hospitals through the city,...
- Free Glaucoma Screening Available At Sinai
The Eyes Have It Program (EHIP) offers free monthly glaucoma screenings to all Baltimore citizens. Glaucoma is a blinding eye disease with no obvious warning signs. A FREE glaucoma screening will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September...
- January Is Glaucoma Awareness Month
More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases often caused by increased pressure inside the eye, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. The best way to protect yourself is to be aware of your risk and to make sure you have...
Health News
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month; disease is second leading cause of blindness
One million Americans will be diagnosed with glaucoma in the next 10 years, prompting Kentucky optometrists to raise awareness of the disease this month.
"People who do not visit their eye doctor on a regular basis are putting their vision and quality of life at risk," said Dr. Ben Gaddie, president of the Kentucky Optometric Association. "Glaucoma is often referred to as 'the sneak thief of sight' because it can strike without pain or other symptoms. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, so early detection and treatment are paramount."
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the country. Data from the American Optometric Association show 50 percent of Americans incorrectly believe glaucoma is preventable and fewer than 20 percent of Americans are aware glaucoma causes deterioration of peripheral vision.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation has found African Americans ages 45 to 65 are 14 to 17 times more likely to go blind from the disease than Caucasians. People with a family history of glaucoma, those over the age of 60 or people who have experienced severe eye trauma are also more prone to the disease. (Read more)
- Clinics In 9 Appalachian Counties Will Offer High-tech Eye Screenings To Head Off Common Ailment That Blinds Diabetics
Kentucky has one of the nation's highest rates of diabetes, but half the diabetics in rural Kentucky don't have annual eye exams ? even though nearly 30 percent of diabetics over 40 have diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness...
- After Surgery, Things Are Looking Up
Editor's Note: Marketing Department writer Sandra Crockett had eye surgery in May at the Krieger Eye Institute and is sharing her experience with our blog readers. You can read about her preparing for surgery here. It was all worth it. The four separate...
- All In Favor, Say Eye
Several initiatives allowed residents in Baltimore County and the city of Baltimore to have their eyes screened in 2009. The Eyes Have It program, created by the Polakoff Foundation, offers monthly free glaucoma screenings at hospitals through the city,...
- Free Glaucoma Screening Available At Sinai
The Eyes Have It Program (EHIP) offers free monthly glaucoma screenings to all Baltimore citizens. Glaucoma is a blinding eye disease with no obvious warning signs. A FREE glaucoma screening will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September...
- January Is Glaucoma Awareness Month
More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases often caused by increased pressure inside the eye, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. The best way to protect yourself is to be aware of your risk and to make sure you have...