Newspaper Page Text
2B %\)t Imulti <©a?ette Tuesday, February 9,2021
The various types of
glaucoma and their symptoms
Eyesight is impor
tant but easily taken for
granted. Few people can
imagine life without their
eyesight, but hundreds
of millions of people
across the globe experi
ence compromised vision
every year.
According to the
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention,
glaucoma is the second
leading cause of blind
ness worldwide. In fact,
estimates from the World
Glaucoma Association
indicated that 79.6 mil
lion individuals would
experience glaucoma in
2020. By 2040, that figure
is expected to rise to
111.8 million people.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease
that damages the optic
nerve. According to the
American Academy of
Ophthalmology®, glauco
ma usually results from
the buildup of fluid in
the front part of the eye.
As that fluid builds up, it
increases the pressure in
the eye, ultimately dam
aging the optic nerve.
Are all glaucomas the
same?
All glaucomas are not
the same, and the AAO
notes that there are two
major types of the dis
ease: primary open-angle
glaucoma and angle-clo
sure glaucoma.
• Primary open-angle
glaucoma: The most com
mon type of the disease,
primary open-angle glau
coma develops gradually.
Eyes affected by primary
open-angle glaucoma do
not drain fluid as well as
they should, resulting in
the buildup of pressure
that slowly starts to dam
age the optic nerve.
• Angle-closure
glaucoma: Angle-closure
glaucoma occurs when a
person’s iris is very close
to the drainage angle in
his or her eye. The AAO
says that this proximity
can block the drainage
angle, causing pressure
to build up very quickly.
However, the AAO also
notes that many people
with angle-closure glau
coma develop it very
slowly and have no idea
they have it until they’ve
suffered severe damage.
What are the symp
toms of glaucoma?
The symptoms of glau
coma differ depending on
which type a person has.
According to the AAO,
there are no obvious
symptoms in the early
stages of open-angle
glaucoma. Blind spots de
velop in patients’ periph
eral vision as the disease
progresses. Because
people often do not
experience symptoms
until the damage from
open-angle glaucoma has
become severe, the AAO
urges adults to schedule
routine eye exams with
an ophthalmologist so
the disease can be found
before any significant
damage has occurred.
Blurred vision, halos,
mild headaches, or eye
pain are some early
symptoms of an angle-
closure glaucoma at
tack. However, the AAO
notes that people with
angle-closure glaucoma
do not typically notice
any symptoms until the
attack has started. As
a result, the AAO urges
anyone experiencing any
of the aforementioned
symptoms to contact
their ophthalmologist
immediately. Once an
angle-closure glaucoma
attack has begun, symp
toms may include:
• severe pain in the
eye or forehead
• redness of the eye
• decreased vision or
blurred vision
• nausea
• vomiting
No one is immune to
glaucoma, which can
quickly rob otherwise
healthy individuals of
their vision. Learning to
recognize the early signs
of glaucoma and seeking
prompt treatment can
reduce the likelihood of
substantial vision loss.
SHEPHERDCARE
HOSPICE
Contact:
Meredith Smith
Director of
Marketing
678-603-1321
CARE" it s not just our name, it's our lifestyle!
GRIFFIN OFFICE:
1501B Kalamazoo Dr., Griffin, GA 30224
THOM ASTON OFFICE:
201 N. Church St., Thomaston, GA 30286
We service all surrounding counties to each office.
www.ShepherdCareGA.com
► GET IT ON
Google Play
Our friendly staff look forward
to seeing you inside or
if you prefer, continue to use
our convenient drive-thru!
Flu Shots Available Here!
Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 6p m • Saturday 9am -1pm
Hines Prescription Shop
302 College Dr. • Barnesville
770-358-2266
www.hinesrxshop.com
Understanding low vision
Prescription eye
glasses help billions of
people across the world
improve their vision. In
fact, when a person’s
vision starts to weaken,
a new eyeglass prescrip
tion is often the solution.
However, prescription
eyeglasses cannot cor
rect every issue, includ
ing low vision.
The National Eye In
stitute defines low vision
as a vision problem that
makes it hard for people
to perform everyday ac
tivities. People with low
vision may not see well
enough to read, drive,
recognize people’s faces,
distinguish between
colors, or see their televi
sion or computer screens
clearly. Though low
vision is a serious condi
tion, the Cleveland Clinic
notes it does not include
complete blindness
and can sometimes be
improved with the use of
visual aids. Understand
ing low vision and how
it can affect a person’s
daily life can help pa
tients and their families
confront the condition
more successfully.
Are all types of low
vision the same?
The NE1 notes that
there are different types
of low vision. The four
most common types of
low vision are:
• Central vision loss:
This is marked by an
inability to see things in
the center of your vision.
• Peripheral vision
loss: This affects periph
eral vision and compro
mises a person’s ability
to see things out of the
corners of the eyes.
• Night blindness: A
person diagnosed with
night blindness will be
unable to see in low light.
• Blurry or hazy
vision: The Cleveland
Clinic notes that objects
both near and far will
appear out of focus when
a person is dealing blurry
vision. Someone with
hazy vision will feel as
though his or her entire
field of vision is covered
with a film or glare.
What causes low
vision?
The NE1 notes that
low vision is not caused
by aging alone. However,
there is a link between
aging and low vision.
Many of the diseases that
can cause low vision are
most common in older
adults. In fact, the Cleve
land Clinic notes low
vision affects one in four
adults over age 75 and
one in six adults over age
45. The type of low vision
a person has will depend
on the disease or condi
tion that caused it.
Many different eye
conditions can cause low
vision, but the NEI says
the four most common
are:
• Age-related macular
degeneration (AMD):
AMD is a disease of the
eye that can blur the
vision people need to
read and drive. AMD is
slow to develop and as
it progresses the blurry
area near the center of
vision may get bigger and
things may also seem
less bright than before.
• Cataracts: Cataracts
affect more than half of
all Americans age 80 or
older. The NEI notes that
many people do not no
tice they have a cataract
initially. But over time,
people with a cataract
may notice their vision
becoming blurry, hazy or
less colorful.
• Diabetic retinopathy:
Diabetic retinopathy
affects blood vessels in
the retina and can cause
low vision in people with
diabetes. The NEI urges
anyone with diabetes to
schedule comprehensive
dilated eye exams at
least once per year, as
finding diabetic retinopa
thy early, even when no
symptoms are present,
can help people protect
their vision.
• Glaucoma: Glaucoma
is an umbrella term used
to describe a group of
eye diseases that damage
the optic nerve. The NEI
notes that half of all peo
ple with glaucoma don’t
even know they have it,
which only underscores
the importance of sched
uling comprehensive
dilated eye exams.
Low vision is a seri
ous condition that can
affect people’s ability
to perform daily tasks
like reading and driving.
More information about
low vision can be found
at www.nei.nih.gov.
How to choose the right pair of sunglasses
Sunscreen is essential
to protect skin against
potential sun damage,
but what about keeping
the eyes safe from the
sun? Are the eyes vulner
able to significant sun-
related damage as well?
According to the Cal
vert Ophthalmology Cen
ter, ultraviolet rays from
the sun can contribute
to various eye problems.
These can range from
temporary vision loss to
macular degeneration.
When spending time in
the sun, it’s vital that
individuals take steps to
protect their eyes. One of
the ways to do just that
is to wear sunglasses.
All sunglasses are not
created equal. Qual
ity sunglasses protect
the eyes from UV rays,
reduce eyestrain in
bright conditions and
protect the eyes from
flying debris. Here’s how
to find the right pair of
sunglasses for you.
• Check the UV rating.
Sunglasses should block
100 percent of both UVA
and UVB rays. UV rays
can contribute to cata
racts and even destroy
the retina, which is the
lining at the back of the
eyes. In addition, UV light
can cause changes in
the cells of the eyes that
may produce discomfort
or even lead to cancer.
Make sure the label indi
cates that the sunglasses
protect against UVA and
UVB rays.
• Wear large sunglass
es. The more coverage
from sunglasses the
better. The American
Optometric Association
advises that oversized or
Georgia Department of Public Health
District 4 Public Health
LAMAR COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Lamar County Health Department
100 Academy Drive
Barneville, GA 30204
Phone (770)358-1483
Make your appointment today!
Clinic: 1(800)847-4262 /(706)845-4035
WIC: 1(866)636-7942 / (706)298-6080
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00a.m.- 5:00p.m.
m
o
www.district4health.org
District4Health
©
D4publichealth
Hi
Serving: Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Fayette,
PrOtCCt Lives. Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike,
Spalding, Troup and Upson Counties.
wraparound sunglasses
are best, as they can cut
down on the UV rays
entering the eye from the
side.
• Don’t be fooled by
dark lenses. Dark lenses
do not necessarily block
more UV rays than
light-colored lenses. It
is important to look at
the label to see the UV
rating.
• Select functional
sunglasses. The sport
ing goods experts at
RE1 state that certain
sunglasses are specifi
cally designed for certain
activities. Sport sun
glasses, for example are
designed for running, bik
ing and hiking. They’re
lightweight and fit tightly
so they stay on while ex
ercising. Their frame and
lens materials also may
be more impact-resistant
than casual sunglasses.
Glacier glasses are sport
sunglasses that protect
the eyes from intense
light at high altitudes and
against reflections from
snow.
• Know the functions
of polarized lenses.
Polarization helps reduce
glare coming off of reflec
tive surfaces, such as
water. Note that polariza
tion will not offer more
protection from the sun,
but it makes engaging in
certain activities more
comfortable.
• Recognize that the
color of lenses also
helps. In addition to
polarization, the color
of lenses can affect
how much visible light
reaches the eyes and af
fects clarity. Brown, gray
and green are ideal for
everyday use and most
outdoor activities. Light
colors like rose, yellow
and amber are good in
low to moderate light
conditions. They can
improve the visibility of
objects and make sur
roundings seem brighter.
Shop smart when
selecting sunglasses to
keep eyes healthy and
comfortable.