Save Your Sight From Glaucoma...Senator John Glenn Did

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Save Your Sight From Glaucoma... Senator John Glenn Did (NAPSA)—Seekingto help Americans protect themselves from an eye disease often called the “sneak thief of sight,” U.S. Senator and pioneering astronaut John Glennis urging people to know therisk factors of and get tested for glaucoma. “T’ll never forget the sight of Earth as I looked from my Friendship 7 Mercury capsule in 1962 or 36 years later from the space shuttle Discovery,” he says. “I might not have seen such sights if a simple, quick, and painless eye exam had not caught my glaucomain time.” Speaking out as part of a public service campaign, Senator Glenn warns that glaucoma is a dangerous disease that can cause vision loss and blindnessif left untreated. About half of the three million Americans who have glaucoma do not know it, because there usually are no symptoms—until irre- versible damage occurs. About 120,000 Americans are blind from glaucoma, another 5,500 go blind each year, and hundreds of thousands of others lose somesight. You maybeat high risk for glaucomaif you: Have a close relative who has glaucoma; Are African-American; or Are a seniorcitizen. U.S. Senator and pioneering astronaut John Glenn. Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but early diagnosis and treatment may help save yoursight. A trio of painless tests detect glaucoma. If glaucomais found, you usually will receive eye drops and, sometimes, laser or conventional surgery. If you have glaucoma, you must follow your recommended treatment. “See your eye doctor as I did,” advises Senator Glenn, “so the world will always be a beautiful sight to behold.” To learn more, call the EyeCare America”—Glaucoma Project, a public service of The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, at 1-800-391-EYES (3937).