LifestyleMidday Maryland

Actions

Important information about Glaucoma

Posted at 1:52 PM, Sep 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-23 14:10:29-04

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that may not be top of mind for most Americans is eye care. However, for the 70 million people worldwide living with glaucoma, they risk going blind if they can’t get to a doctor’s office for routine procedures and visits.

Glaucoma is one of the primary causes of irreversible vision loss and blindness. Intraocular pressure (IOP), the fluid pressure inside the eye, is the only treatable risk factor for glaucoma. If left untreated, glaucoma patients continue to progress, leading to vision loss and ultimately leading to blindness.

While current eye drop therapies can be effective to lower IOP, many patients struggle to administer their drops properly and consistently. In fact, one study (71 patients) showed only 28% of glaucoma patients were able to correctly instill the eye drops.

Dr. Tosin Smith, a glaucoma specialist with Glaucoma Associates of Texas, shares important information for managing IOP for people living with glaucoma who may have challenges with administering eye drops.