Call Annie Jeffrey Health Center at (402) 747-2031 for more information
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January is Glaucoma Awareness Month – Half of all blindness can be prevented. A vision screening can help identify people who are at risk for eye disease. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve is responsible for carrying the images we see to the brain. There are several types of glaucoma.
One type of glaucoma is called Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. This is the most common form, affecting about three million Americans. It happen when the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time. Most people have no symptoms and no early warning signs. If open angle glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can cause a gradual loss of vision. This type of glaucoma develops slowly and sometimes without noticeable sight loss for many years. It usually responds well to medication, especially if caught early and treated.
Another type of glaucoma is called Angle Closure Glaucoma or acute glaucoma. This type is much more rare. A simple test can be used to see if your angle is normal and wide or abnormal and narrow. Treatment of angle closure glaucoma usually involves surgery to remove a small portion of the outer edge of the iris. Usually surgery is successful and long lasting. Symptoms of angle closure glaucoma may include headaches, eye pain, nausea, rainbows around lights at night, and very blurred vision.
Both cataracts and glaucoma can be a natural part of the aging process. Many people over 60 may have both. Both cataracts and glaucoma are serious conditions that can cause you to lose vision. However, loss of vision due to cataracts can be reversed with surgery. Loss of vision from glaucoma is, as yet, irreversible.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month – A Pap test and pelvic exam are important parts of a woman’s routine health care because they can detect cancer or abnormalities that may lead to cancer of the cervix. These abnormalities can be treated before cancer develops. Most invasive cancers of the cervix can be prevented if women have Pap tests regularly. Women should talk with their health care providers about how often they should have a Pap test. A Pap can usually be incorporated into a wellness physical.
Other screening tests a woman should receive are mammograms, cholesterol checks, blood pressure, colorectal cancer tests, and osteoporosis tests. Everyone should also make sure that their immunizations are up-to-date.
Please call your health care provider or Annie Jeffrey Health Center at 747-2031 to schedule your wellness physical.
