As promised, for this
week’s blog I am writing a quiz on glaucoma, as January is Glaucoma Awareness
Month. Oh, let’s make this really fun, and make it true and false.

 

1) Open- angle glaucoma,
is the most common type of glaucoma, and occurs in about three million
Americans.

   

      
A) True

       B)
False

 

      ANSWER:  
A) True. It accounts for about 90% of all cases of glaucoma; it develops
slowly, silently and is a lifelong condition.

2) Some of the risk factors for glaucoma are age, being of African or Hispanic
descent, family history, and chronic steroid use.

        A) True

       
B) False

 

     ANSWER:   A) True. So stay
young, choose your family wisely, and don’t have an auto-immune disease.

3) There is no way to
treat glaucoma, or to reduce your chances of vision loss.

       
A) True

       
B) False

    ANSWER: 
B) False. Glaucoma is treatable, especially if found in the early stages. You
can help yourself by taking your medications and following you doctors directions
as close as possible, by telling all your health care providers that
you have glaucoma, and by keeping your scheduled appointments.

4) Glaucoma can cause
one eye to become blurry, or without pain, suddenly go completely
dark or seem like a curtain has come down.

      
A) True

      
B) False

 

     ANSWER:
B) False. These symptoms could indicate a retinal problem (a detachment or
stroke) and are considered ocular emergencies and should be checked as soon as
possible.

5) Glaucoma usually starts around the age of 40 and causes blurred near vision
when reading, sewing or working at the computer.

       A) True

      
B) False

 

   

 ANSWER: B) False.
Presbyopia, or “Short Arm Syndrome”, happens after the age of 40, and
is usually corrected with reading glasses or bifocals.