According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. It is often called the “sneak thief of sight” because half of all patients have it and do not know it. Although some may consider the eye disease something that only happens to older people, the truth is, even children and teenagers can be diagnosed with it. There is no cure for glaucoma and unfortunately, once sight is lost to the disease, it cannot be restored. The good news is that if glaucoma is diagnosed and treated early, the damaging effects can be diminished.

A.J. DeGeorge is now 27 years old but has been receiving treatment for juvenile open-angle glaucoma since he was 13. At the time of his diagnosis, he exhibited no signs or symptoms of the potentially blinding eye disease. His glaucoma was only discovered because of a routine eye exam.

How Does Glaucoma Cause Blindess?

Glaucoma causes loss of sight by slowly damaging a part of the eye called the optic nerve. When the optic nerve becomes damaged, it usually begins to damage peripheral vision. Without treatment, central vision becomes diminished. It is the second leading cause of blindness, second only to cataracts.

“There were no warning signs. I had very close to 20/20 vision and never had any pain,” said DeGeorge. “But, when the doctors checked the pressures in my eyes, they were unbelievably high and my optic nerves had shown signs of damage.”

After his diagnosis, DeGeorge began treatment with a glaucoma specialist, Mildred M.G. Olivier, M.D. of the Midwest Glaucoma Center. Initial treatment included medications but later a Trabeculectomy (surgery) was needed in the right eye to lower the eye pressure so that no further damage would occur. Today, thanks to the early detection and consistently following his doctor’s directions, DeGeorge needs only to take eye drops in his left eye once a day.

“Although having glaucoma at such a young age is rare, I think A.J.’s story demonstrates the need for everyone, including those young and more mature, to receive an eye exam,” said Dr. Olivier. “There is no cure for glaucoma, but with early treatment, we can lessen the risk of severe vision loss.”

As of today, there are more then 2.2 million Americans over the age of 40 who have been diagnosed. Unfortunately, once glaucoma takes away sight, it cannot be restored.