PORTLAND, Ore. — January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Research suggests it affects more than 4 million people in the United States, but one OHSU doctor says about half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.
Dr. Eliesa Ing, an associate professor at OHSU’s Casey Eye Institute, said the disease is often called the “silent blinder” because there are rarely symptoms. There are different kinds of glaucoma — some that are age-related and others that can be slow or fast to develop.
When it’s slow developing, sometimes people may notice blind spots developing in their peripheral vision, according to the Mayo Clinic. Another kind of glaucoma may produce bad headaches, severe eye pain or blurred vision…