January is Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. Glaucoma has no early symptoms — that’s why half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.
The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. There’s no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but those at higher risk include:
- Everyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos
- African Americans over age 40
- People with a family history of glaucoma
Join the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) in encouraging people at higher risk for glaucoma to get a dilated eye exam in the new year!
Share these resources
Use our resources to spread the word about how to find glaucoma early — and how people with glaucoma can protect their vision.
Get an inside look at glaucoma
Our virtual reality (VR) app — See What I See — shows you what it’s like to live with vision loss from common eye diseases. The VR app lets you see first-hand how conditions like glaucoma can impact your vision.
Help people talk with their doctor about glaucoma
Visiting the doctor can be stressful — especially when dealing with a new diagnosis. This guide makes it easy for people to talk with their doctor about glaucoma. It includes:
- Information about glaucoma
- Questions for the doctor
- A symptom tracker
Give a presentation
Share important information about how people with glaucoma can protect their vision. Use our toolkit to lead an educational session in your community. It’s easy to use, even if you don’t know much about eye care or haven’t led group discussions before.
Connect with NEI’s NEHEP partners
NEI’s National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) offers disease- and audience-specific programs for health educators in 6 program areas, including glaucoma. NEHEP also works closely with health professionals and health educators to create campaigns, resources, and tools they can use to raise awareness in their communities.
Spread the word on social media
Use the Twitter and Facebook posts below to tell your followers about Glaucoma Awareness Month.
- If you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, it’s normal have questions about what this means. @NationalEyeInstitute’s guide can help you start the conversation with your doctor: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials/talk-your-doctor-about-glaucoma https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials/talk-your-doctor-about-glaucoma
- It can be hard to describe what vision loss looks like for people with glaucoma. This #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth, see what it’s like to live with this common eye disease using @NationalEyeInstitute’s virtual reality app: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/see-what-i-see-virtual-reality-eye-disease-experience
- January is #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth. Get the facts about glaucoma and schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam to protect your sight. Learn more from @NationalEyeInstitute: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- Join @NationalEyeInstitute in celebrating #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth! Find resources to help raise awareness about glaucoma: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/glaucoma-resources/glaucoma-awareness-month
- It’s #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth! Did you know that the only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a dilated eye exam? Learn more from @NationalEyeInstitute: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- If you’ve been diagnosed with #glaucoma, you might have questions about what this means. @NatEyeInstitute’s guide can help you start the conversation with your doctor: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials/talk-your-doctor-about-glaucoma
- This #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth, see what it’s like to live with #glaucoma using @NatEyeInstitute’s virtual reality app: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/see-what-i-see-virtual-reality-eye-disease-experience
- January is #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth. Get the facts about #glaucoma from @NatEyeInstitute — and get a dilated eye exam if you’re at higher risk: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- Celebrate #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth by helping others learn about #glaucoma. Use @NatEyeInstitute's resources to spread the word: https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/glaucoma-resources/glaucoma-awareness-month
- It’s #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth! #DYK the only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a dilated eye exam? Learn more from @NatEyeInstitute https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma