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- Wild Bill Hickok suffered from Glaucoma.
- Kirby Puckett, John Glenn, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte and former President George W. Bush Sr. all suffer from the condition as well.
- Glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in African-Americans than Caucasians.
- Currently 46,000 Missourians have glaucoma, but only 23,000 know it.
Glaucoma is caused when fluid within the eye does not drain properly resulting in increases in pressure inside the eye. Over time the pressure builds to the point of causing damage to the optic nerve. Once the optic nerve is damaged vision loss begins to occur. If left undetected, the pressure continues to build causing its sufferers to slowly lose their peripheral (side) vision until they are completely blind. The disease is often referred to as the “sneak thief of sight” because it is painless, in most cases, and vision loss is so gradual people do not realized they are losing their sight until the later stages of the disease. Click here to see a demonstration of the effects of glaucoma over time. Once vision has been lost to glaucoma, it cannot be regained.
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| Photo, courtesy of National Eye Institute. |
Although anyone can be the victim of glaucoma, there are several factors that can put an individual at higher risk:
- Anyone over the age of 60
- Individuals with diabetes
- Individuals with a family history of glaucoma
- African Americans over the age 40
The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation’s staff technicians travel throughout the state providing FREE glaucoma detection screenings. By using a non-contact tonometer, which sends a puff of air onto the eye, the technician can determine if a person has elevated eye pressure.
If an individual has a higher than normal eye pressure reading, they are urged to visit their eye doctor for a more comprehensive exam. Screenings are free to those being tested, however the club or organization sponsoring the screening is asked for a $100 donation to help cover the Foundation’s expenses for equipment maintenance, staff and travel.
Glaucoma screenings are important because according to Prevent Blindness America, of the 46,000 Missourians that have glaucoma 23,000 are unaware they are losing their vision. Since the inception of the Foundation’s screening program, 7 percent of those tested have been found to have high inter-ocular pressure that could be due to glaucoma.
If your club, event or business would like
to schedule a screening in your area
please contact
Tina
Twenter at 800-753-2265 ext. 8518 or submit
a request via the form below. To view
our screening calendar click
here.
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