January is Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. But half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.
Glaucoma has no early symptoms. The only way to check for it is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. There’s no cure for glaucoma, but starting treatment as early as possible can help stop vision loss.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at higher risk, including people who:
- Are over age 60
- Are Black/African American and over age 40
- Are Asian American
- Are Hispanic/Latino
- Have a family history of glaucoma
This Glaucoma Awareness Month, join our National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) in encouraging everyone at higher risk for glaucoma to get a dilated eye exam. It’s the best way to protect their vision!
Share these resources
Use our resources to spread the word about how to find glaucoma early and the steps people with glaucoma can take.
Get an inside look at glaucoma
Our virtual reality (VR) app — See What I See — shows what it’s like to live with vision loss from common eye diseases, including glaucoma.
Hear from a glaucoma expert
NEHEP Planning Group Chair Dr. Jullia Rosdahl, a glaucoma specialist at Duke Eye Center, joined NEHEP partner Hadley to record an episode of their podcast, Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts. They discussed common questions about glaucoma, how to treat it, and why some people are at higher risk.
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 recently diagnosed with glaucoma to talk to their doctor. It includes:
- Information about glaucoma
- Questions for the doctor
- A symptom tracker
Give a presentation
You can share important information about glaucoma, including who may be at higher risk and what steps they can take to care for their eye health.
Connect with NEI’s NEHEP partners
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 sample X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook posts below to tell your followers about Glaucoma Awareness Month — and encourage them to learn about glaucoma and take steps to protect their eye health in 2024.
X (formerly Twitter)
- It’s #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth! #DYK? The only way to find out if you have #glaucoma is to get a dilated #EyeExam. Learn more from @NatEyeInstitute: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- Make a plan this #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth to check in with an eye doctor about your #EyeHealth. If you don’t have an eye doctor, use @NatEyeInstitute’s tips to find one near you: https://www.nei.nih.gov/FindADoctor
- If you’ve been diagnosed with #glaucoma, it’s normal to have questions. @NatEyeInstitute’s guide can help you start the conversation with your eye doctor: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials/talk-your-doctor-about-glaucoma #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth
- This #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth, see what it’s like to live with vision loss caused by #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
- 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! Did you know? The only way to find out if you have #glaucoma is to get a dilated #EyeExam. Learn more from @NationalEyeInstitute: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- Make a plan this #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth to check in with an eye doctor about your #EyeHealth. If you don’t have an eye doctor, use @NationalEyeInstitute’s tips to find one near you: https://www.nei.nih.gov/FindADoctor
- If you’ve been diagnosed with #glaucoma, it’s normal to have questions about what this means. @NationalEyeInstitute’s guide can help you start the conversation with your eye doctor: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials/talk-your-doctor-about-glaucoma #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth
- It can be hard to describe what vision loss looks like for people with #glaucoma. This #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth, use @NationalEyeInstitute’s virtual reality app to see what it’s like to live with this common eye disease: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/see-what-i-see-virtual-reality-eye-disease-experience
- 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