Glaucoma Month

Who is at risk?

People over the age of 50 and those with a family history of glaucoma have a higher risk.

• a family history of glaucoma
• high eye pressure
• being aged over 50
• being of African or Asian descent
• diabetes
• myopia (nearsighted)
• prolonged use of cortisone (steroid) medication
• migraines
• an eye operation or eye injury
• a history of high or low blood pressure

personalEYES recommends at-risk individuals and Australians over 50 years and older to visit our clinics (appointments required) for an eye test over the Glaucoma month.

You can also visit your preferred optometrist every 2 years for a comprehensive eye exam, and if you have a family history of glaucoma or are of Asian or African descent we recommend you get your eyes checked every 2 years from the age of 40.

Did you know?

Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Australia

Known as the 'silent thief of sight' glaucoma develops slowly and often without any symptoms, leaving people undetected until the disease reaches an advanced stage. Left untreated, it can cause vision loss and may even lead to blindness.

While vision loss can’t be restored, early diagnosis and treatment can delay or halt the progression of the disease. That is why it’s so important to detect the problem as early as possible.

It is estimated that 300,000 Australians are living with glaucoma, but over 50% are unaware they have it, thinking they have healthy eyes.

Glaucoma is hereditary - you are 10x more likely to have glaucoma if you have a direct family member with glaucoma.

First degree relatives of a person with glaucoma have an almost 1 in 4 chance of developing glaucoma in their lifetime, and that risk increases to 56% if their glaucoma is advanced. So knowing your family health is important.