Phone:
(410) 420-8132

Email: dfpolakoff@polakoff-foundation.org

Glaucoma Information

Basic Glaucoma Information
Glaucoma is a set of eye diseases that affects nearly 70 million people worldwide and three million people in the United States. Glaucoma is called "The Silent Thief" as it often steals the victim's sight without any obvious warning signs. At present, sight lost to glaucoma can never be recovered.

Since glaucoma can steal sight with no advance warning, prevention is the key. If you are in one of the high-risk groups shown below, you should have an eye exam by a glaucoma specialist no less often than twice per year. If caught early, sight can often be preserved by one of many methods including medicinal eye drops and laser surgeries.

How Glaucoma Steals Sight
The optic nerve is what sends images from the eye to the brain. In a glaucoma patient, fluid build-up causes the intraocular pressure (IOP) to rise. Elevated IOP can ultimately cause damage to the optic nerve leading to irreversible blindness.

Elevated IOP is only one factor in diagnosing glaucoma. The ophthalmologist will also evaluate the size of the optic nerve and provide a test for peripheral vision loss. All of these factors will contribute to a glaucoma diagnosis.

High-Risk Groups Include:

• People with family history of the disease
• People over 60
• African-Americans
• Diabetics
• People who are extremely nearsighted or farsighted
• Long-time users of steroid medications
• The victim of a severe eye trauma
• Hispanics
• Russian Jews
• American Indians

Learn More
Listen to Sam Polakoff and Dr. Sam Boles, a local glaucoma specialist and a Polakoff Foundation Board member, as heard on CBS Radio in Baltimore, June 4th, 2006.

Along with host Sarah Jacobs, Sam and Dr. Boles discuss Sam's experience as a glaucoma patient, the work of The Polakoff Foundation as well as the disease itself.




Click here to download a free glaucoma pamphlet