The eye disease without any warning signs.

Over the years, my patients have approached me with a lot of interesting eye- and health-related questions. One that kept standing out to me was the question of…

Which eye disease was the most dangerous of them all?

Now, my meticulous habit of dissecting a question beyond a simple yes-or-no answer went to work with this inquiry because as we all know, the term “dangerous” is one of danger in and of itself. That too, asking a worker bee of a specific specialty, which ONE is worst of them all, would be as challenging as asking a chef his/her most favorite spice or the case of a kid in a candy shop- You can’t just pick one.

Still, leaving such a question unanswered had an unsettling vibe. After much contemplation, my clear answer to the most dangerous eye disease is one that is the most sight threatening - Glaucoma. It’s known as the “Silent Thief of Sight” as it creeps into one’s life like a shadow on a cloudy day, without any warning signs.

The most distressing concern is that once this disease ensues, any vision that someone has lost can never be recovered.

By the time this person finally notices a compromise in vision, it’s an ominous indication that he/she has already lost
more than half of his/her sight and it’s irreversible.

For this reason alone, I stress not only the dangers of Glaucoma, but also the necessity for ruling out the disease in a patient who shows one or more of its risk factors.

Some risk factors include:
Age: Over 60 years old
Exceptions: African Americans over 40 years old
Traumatic glaucoma can occur at any age by blunt trauma or an eye injury
Infantile glaucoma in babies
Ethnicity: More prevalent in black African or black Caribbean descent, Hispanics, and Asians
Family History: A sibling, parent, or grandparent has Glaucoma
Medical Conditions: Studies indicate diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and sleep apnea
Trauma
Specific Anatomical Features of the Eye
Chronic Steroid Use

There are more reasons to see one’s Optometrist on a yearly basis than just to update his/her eyewear. As important as that is, however, it is also just as imperative to evaluate the health of the eyes. This allows the Optometrist the opportunity to rule out all the potentially dangerous eye diseases (as well as systemic diseases that can impact the eyes) and ensure that patients are seeing their best through healthy eyes.

Sincerely,
Dr. K.