January is Glaucoma Awareness Month! Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the pressure inside of your eye is high enough to cause damage to the optic nerve. This damage can result in the loss of vision. A normal eye is filled with fluid that flows through a drainage system. When this drainage system stops working properly, pressure begins to build up inside of the eye. Glaucoma is often called a 'sneak thief of sight' because it has no symptoms in early stages - you don't feel any pain or pressure, it doesn't make your eyes red, and it doesn't blur your vision. Because glaucoma affects your peripheral vision first, by the time you can tell that there's something wrong with your sight, the damage is very advanced. Anyone can get glaucoma, even children, so it's important to have your eyes examined regularly. There are some people who have a higher risk of developing glaucoma. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of glaucoma, or if you are African-American, you are at a higher risk for developing this disease. Make sure you mention any of these risk factors to your doctor when you go for your next eye exam. He will check your eye pressure, and look at your optic nerve for signs of glaucoma. At the Eye Center of Central Georgia, we are pleased to offer specialized testing for glaucoma. We use the Humphrey Field Analyzer II to examine your visual fields and measure your peripheral vision. We also use the Zeiss Optical Coherence Tomography machine, which takes a digital image of your optic nerve and allows the doctor to detect glaucoma in very early stages. Learn more about glaucoma here! | 
