Call Us 866-924-2442
logo new
 
  • About Us
    • Our Culture
    • Our Caregivers
    • Our Management Team
    • Industry Statistics
  • Careers
  • Services
    • Coordination of Care
    • Elderly Care Services
    • Hiring an Agency vs.
      Direct Caregiver
    • Benefits Outweigh Cost
    • Personal Care
    • Skilled Nursing Therapy
    • Senior In Home Care
    • Alzheimer’s and Dementia
  • Programs
    • ENSUREPrograms
      • ENSUREConnect
      • ENSURECheck
    • Temperature Screening Services
      • Event Screening
    • Veterans Aid & Attendance
  • Blogs
    • Lifestyle
    • Franchising
    • Newsroom
  • Hand in Hand Newsletter
  • Franchise Opportunities
  • Ask a Question

Blog

Home Caregiving Tips Glaucoma—Signs and Care

Glaucoma—Signs and Care

December 30, 2020slorenz

Mark your calendar, it’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month and a great time to schedule a dilated eye exam for your senior loved one. If caught on time, blindness can be avoided.

Knowledge is Power

As a caregiver to your loved one, it is important to learn as much as you can about Glaucoma, also called “the silent thief of sight,” so that you can possibly stave off its damaging effects. Being informed will help reduce anxiety and possibly alter the outcome of the diagnosis to be more positive.

Here is what is known about glaucoma, according to www.glaucoma.org:

  • Glaucoma is a group of conditions where the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is deteriorated or damaged, usually due to high eye pressure. The most common type of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma. This type often has no symptoms other than slow vision loss. Angle-closure glaucoma is rare. This type is considered a medical emergency. The symptoms include eye pain accompanied by nausea and sudden visual disturbance.
  • Most types of glaucoma are hereditary
  • Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 60
  • Open-angle glaucoma does not present with symptoms
  • Some vision loss begins with peripheral or side vision. You may compensate for this unconsciously by turning your head to the side, and may not notice anything until significant vision is lost
  • An estimated 3 million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it
  • Glaucoma is a chronic disease and must be managed and monitored for life

Research tells us that everyone is at risk of glaucoma. The disease affects every age group with a higher concentration among Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. It is also known that people who are severely near-sighted and diabetic are also among the high-risk group. But if caught early and properly managed, this disease may not cause blindness because treatment can slow the progression of the disease.

Treatment and Management

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s important to see your eye doctor immediately if you have eye pain, severe headaches or vision problems.

Glaucoma treatments include:

Eyedrops/Medication: Prescription eyedrops decrease fluids and increase drainage to alleviate eye pressure. There are many types of eyedrop medications that can be used for this condition. Because glaucoma is a lifelong condition, you may need to use daily eyedrops for life.

Laser treatment: Your eye doctor uses a laser (strong beam of light) to help improve fluid drainage from your eye. While the laser can complement the use of eye drops, it may not replace it completely. The results from laser treatments vary but can last up to five years. Some laser treatments can also be repeated.

Surgery: Surgery is another way to help reduce eye pressure. It is more invasive but can also achieve better eye pressure control faster than drops or laser. Surgery can help slow down vision loss, but it can’t restore lost vision or cure glaucoma. There are many types of surgeries for glaucoma, and depending on the specific type and severity, your eye doctor may choose one over another.

Signs of glaucoma

Loss of peripheral or side vision is usually one of the first sign of glaucoma. If you or your loved one is experiencing this type of vision loss, be sure to contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Other signs to be aware of include:

  • Seeing halos around lights: If you see rainbow-colored circles around lights or are unusually sensitive to light, it could be a sign of glaucoma.
  • Vision loss: Especially if it happens suddenly.

What you can do as your loved one’s caregiver

A few suggestions that can help provide safety for your loved one with glaucoma:

  • Mark steps and slopes
  • Improve lighting
  • Remove clutter
  • Use large print on important items
  • Use technology such as smartphones, tablets, text-to-speech apps
  • Provide low-vision aides which are devices that aid people with poor vision. Examples include hand-held magnifiers, strong magnifying reading glasses, loupes, and small telescopes.)
  • Create a support team that can include friends and family to help with visits to the doctor.

According to Dr. Jithin Yohannan of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine, there is hope because glaucoma is often a very manageable disease. “The vast majority of patients will not go blind from glaucoma if they maintain good follow-up with their care team and follow their recommendations.”

If you or a loved one are in need of compassionate and dependable care, be sure to call AssistingHands® Home Care by visiting www.assistinghands.com to find a location near you.

Previous post 5 Simple Ways to Improve the Quality of Life for Your Loved One Next post Another Bowl, Please–Three Yummy Immune-Boosting Soup Recipes

Newsletters

Facebook
Twitter

Categories

  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Brain Health
  • Business Awards
  • Caregiving Tips
  • COVID-19
  • Elder Care
  • Healthy Aging
  • Homecare
  • In Home Care
  • Legal & Financial
  • Long Term Care
  • News
  • Planning Ahead
  • Respite Care
  • Safety
  • Senior Care
  • Summer
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteering

Recent Posts

  • The Importance of Senior Vitamins and Minerals
  • Another Bowl, Please–Three Yummy Immune-Boosting Soup Recipes
  • Glaucoma—Signs and Care
  • 5 Simple Ways to Improve the Quality of Life for Your Loved One
  • Social Distancing Can Worsen Holiday Blues–Here Is How You Can Help

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • October 2019
  • May 2018
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • May 2012
chat-icon

Read Our Newsletter

Read More
apache_pb

Download Our Brochure

Download
logo

assisting hands

Assisting Hands Home Care provides elder care services and senior in home care services for families across the country.

  • 866-924-2442
  • support@assistinghands.com
  • 5700 East Franklin Rd Nampa ID 83687

Follow Us

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Pinterest

Company

  • In Home Health Care, Elder Care & Senior Caregivers
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Services
  • Company News
  • Newsletter
  • Franchise Opportunities
  • Location List

Services

  • Hiring an Agency vs.
    Direct Caregiver
  • Senior In Home Care
  • Elderly Care Services
  • Coordination of Care
  • Personal Care
  • Skilled Nursing Therapy
  • Benefits Outweigh Cost

Legal

  • Site Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Crunchbase

2020 Assisting Hands Home Care. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Powered by Path