Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. People are often unaware that glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages.
If detected early, before noticeable vision loss occurs, glaucoma can usually be controlled and severe vision loss can often be prevented. Vision that is lost from glaucoma cannot be restored.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but those at higher risk include:
- African Americans over age 40
- Everyone over age 50, especially Hispanics/Latinos
- People with a family history of the disease
In a study published by the British Journal of Ophthalmology, the number of people with glaucoma worldwide is expected to be 79.6 million by 2020 and 111.8 million by 2040.