Whittier specialist Colón helps patients keep an eye on glaucoma

Dr. Yvette Colón, an optometrist and director of eye care services at Whittier Street Health Center, works with patients suffering from glaucoma everyday, offering them education and treatment. Those services are sorely needed, she says, because despite its significant impact, this debilitating eye disease largely flies under the radar.

“Glaucoma is one of the few chronic diseases that does not get nearly the attention it should — it affects millions and can very easily lead to irreversible blindness,” said Colón. “Yet very few people even know what it is and how to treat it.”

Left untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision loss and blindness. It typically occurs when eye pressure levels are higher than normal, leading to damage of the optic nerve. However, glaucoma can also develop in people with normal eye pressure.

Glaucoma can develop at any age, and children can be born with the disease. As with most chronic diseases, those with a family history of glaucoma have a higher risk of developing the disease. Other risk factors for the disease include age, past eye trauma, eye infection and diabetes.

Race is also a factor. Glaucoma disproportionately affects African Americans, who are six to eight times more likely to develop the disease than Caucasians, and are more likely to suffer from blindness related to glaucoma.

“There aren’t symptom s for glaucoma,” said Colón. “Really, the only way to confirm glaucoma is to test for it.”

And therein lies the problem. Many cases go untreated because those afflicted are unfamiliar with the disease or do not visit an optometrist annually and receive testing for glaucoma.

It is estimated that over 3 million Americans currently have glaucoma, but only half of those are aware of the condition and receiving treatment for it. Worldwide, over 65 million people are estimated to have glaucoma.

There are various types of glaucoma. The most common variety, primary open angle glaucoma, is usually treated with eye drops that lower pressure in the eye. If drops are unsuccessful, then surgery may become an option.

“There are no mild cases of glaucoma. Once you have glaucoma, you have it for life. However, in most cases, it can be controlled with drops,” said Colón. “Unfortunately once the vision is lost, it cannot be regained, and that’s why early detection and treatment is the best defense against this disease.”

Colón works with a team of professionals in Whittier’s Eye Care Department, including ophthalmologist Dr. Jean-Bernard Charles and optometrists Dr. Denise Snow Williams and Dr. Sampson Nosike. Whittier Street Health Center offers a wide range of eye care services, including testing for glaucoma and a full service optical shop.

For more information about Whittier’s services or to make an appointment, please call 617-427-1000.