NEW YORK—Now that the new year is fully in swing and people are back to work, it’s time for ECPs everywhere to remind patients about scheduling their annual eye exam for 2023. January just so happens to be Glaucoma Awareness Month at Prevent Blindness, too—providing the perfect reason to bring up the importance of eye exams. Via the CDC, Prevent Blindness reports that about three million Americans have glaucoma, which is also the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. For many, the “sneak thief of sight” is a scary concept—but patients can keep their eye health in check with their annual eye exam, and there’s no better time than now to remind them about that.

As part of Glaucoma Awareness Month, Prevent Blindness offers a number of free resources to help glaucoma patients and their caregivers find the support they need. These include “The Glaucoma Community,” supported by Responsum Health, which provides users with a free toolkit of helpful, community-oriented features from organizational tools for health information to a personalized newsfeed and a dedicated Facebook page. The Prevent Blindness dedicated glaucoma webpage also provides free information on glaucoma, including risk factors, treatment options, instructions on how to administer eye drops and more. A variety of downloadable fact sheets are available, too. Image via prevent_blindness on Instagram


Metro Optics, in New York City, displayed how glaucoma changes the eye, and reminded patients to book their annual exam. Image via metrooptics on Instagram


The Logan Eye Care team in Lake Mary, Florida, reminded patients that glaucoma has no early symptoms, and that a comprehensive eye exam is the best way to check for the disease. Image via logan eyecare on Instagram


The Tennessee-based team at DiStefano Eye Center pointed out that African Americans are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma, and reminded patients to book their annual dilation and exam. Image via distefanoeyecenter on Instagram


Focus Family Eye Care in Altoona, Iowa, shared a detailed glaucoma fact list, which includes important risk factors and treatment options. Image via focusfamilyaltoona on Instagram


Vision Optique in Houston, Texas, shared Prevent Blindness’ “Sneak Thief of Sight” poster to spread the word about glaucoma. Image via visionoptique on Instagram


In Yuba City, California, Distinctive Eyes Optometry reminded patients that an annual eye exam is one of the only ways to diagnose glaucoma. Image via deoptometry on Instagram