Glaucoma Awareness Month

In honor of Glaucoma Awareness month, we wanted to share facts and generate awareness about the disease that affects 200,000 + people per year. According to the National Eye Institute, Glaucoma is, “a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness.” Here are 5 facts about Glaucoma, and 3 ways to prevent it:

What we know:

1. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. They also state that 10% of people who receive proper treatment, still go blind from the disease.
2. Three million Americans have Glaucoma, but only half are aware that they have it.
3. African Americans are 15 times more likely to have Glaucoma, than Caucasians.
4. Glaucoma can affect the number of words you can read at one time, due to the loss of visual field.
5. Open Angle Glaucoma is the most common form, affecting 95% of people with the disease.

Preventing Glaucoma:

1. 
   Exercise, believe it or not, is a great way to prevent Glaucoma because it decreases Intraocular Pressure (Eye Pressure) which can lead to Glaucoma.

2. Wearing proper eye protection when playing sports or doing other activities can prevent Glaucoma. Often times, eye injuries lead to the development of the disease, making it extremely important to always protect your eyes.

3. Receive regular eye exams and checkups; early detection of Glaucoma can help the treatment of the disease. If you are under 40 years old, you should be checked every two to four years. If you are 40 to 54, every one to three years. If you are 55 to 64, you should be checked every one to two years, and if you are over 64 you should be getting checked every year.

Stop into Infinite Eye Care to get checked for Glaucoma. We run various tests to be sure you are safe from this vision-threatening disease. We also prescribe treatment for those already affected by the disease which can keep it from progressing. Call us at 320-257-4990 or visit our website to book your next eye appointment.

15 Interesting Eye Facts

Take a moment and think about the human eye; all of the different uses for our eyes, the range of different colors eyes come in, and how your eyes actually work. There is so much that is unknown about the eye and how it works, but there are also a lot of fun facts that you might not know about the eye! Here are 15 crazy facts that you might not know about your eyes:

 1. There are more than 2 million working parts in the human eye

2. An iris has 216 more unique characteristics than a finger print, making retina scanning an increasingly popular security feature

3. Following the brain, eyes are the second most complex organ in your body

4. Corneas are the only tissue in the whole body that do not contain blood

5. Your eyes don’t continue to grow after you are born

6. Your eye color can change throughout your life

7. The average eyes blink upwards of 20,000 times per day

8. The eyelid is the fastest muscle in the human body

9. Newborn’s eyes don’t produce tears

10. If you are nearsighted, your eyeball is longer than normal, if you are farsighted, your eyeball is shorter than normal

11. Depending on the reason for your tears, they will be made up of varying compositions of liquid.

12. Your retinas perceive everything you see upside down - it’s your brain that flips the image for you

13. You can always see your nose, your brain just chooses to ignore it

14. When you see an image you are only seeing half of the surroundings, it’s your brain that fills in the rest from memory

15. Doctors still have not found a way to transplant a complete eyeball

Eyes are an important part of the human body and they are constantly working to help you learn, work, and accomplish daily tasks. It is important to take care of your eyes so that they can work at optimal levels throughout your life. If you would like to know more about the human eye or would like to schedule an appointment, visit our website at infiniteeyecare.com.