Like many people, you may have made a New Year’s resolution to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Perhaps this included a new eating plan, a gym membership, or more self-care. These changes and others will go a long way to creating a “new you” as we launch a new year and a new decade.

However, in addition to these behavioral and lifestyle changes, you may also want to consider another critical component of your overall health – your vision. While it’s common knowledge that regular eye exams can help to preserve and even improve your eyesight, they can prevent the progression of certain eye diseases. They may even be the catalyst to discovering other health issues, such as high blood pressure, which can lead to staving off a heart attack or stroke.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. This “sneak thief of sight” is projected to impact over 4.2 million in the next decade, a 58 percent increase, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. While it is primarily associated with the middle-aged and the elderly, glaucoma can affect anyone.

There is no cure for glaucoma but treatments and surgery may slow its progression. Of course, the earlier it is detected the better since there are no warning signs of this debilitating eye disease. Talk to your eye care practitioner about your risks for glaucoma. Together an effective course of action can be undertaken to preserve your vision and improve your quality of life.

Make 2020 the year that you resolve to keep an eye on your eyes!  

Originally Published on January 14, 2020 by Kristine Heslin on LinkedIn