Glaucoma Awareness Month

1 March 2026

March 2026 is World Glaucoma Awareness Month.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide and is often referred to as “the sneak thief of sight”. It typically has no early symptoms, making it difficult for individual to recognise until significant vision loss has occurred.

What is glaucoma:
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve, often due to increased intraocular pressure (IOP). This progressive damage can lead to blindness if left untreated.

The two most common types of glaucoma are:
- Open-angle glaucoma: most prevalent which develops gradually and presents with no symptoms
- Angle-closure glaucoma: more sudden and severe type which causes intense pain and rapid vision loss, requiring immediate medical attention

There are other types of glaucoma which can be present at birth, or resulted from underlying health conditions or due to the use of certain medications.

Risks factors:
While glaucoma can affect anyone, research has found certain groups are at higher risk of developing the disease. These include people over the age of 40, people with a family history of glaucoma, people from African, Asian or Hispanic descent, long term steroid users and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or extreme near-sightedness.

Early Detection and Prevention:

1. Regular eye examination: routine check-ups help detect glaucoma in its early stages allowing for timely treatment. It is recommended that all adults should have annual eye health check (make sure your optometrist performs IOP check)

2. Healthy lifestyle choices for eye health:

   - A balanced diet rich in antioxidants (Plant foods are rich sources of antioxidants. They are most abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as other foods including nuts, wholegrains and some meats, poultry and fish). For more details on what type of food rich in antioxidants please see Antioxidants | Better Health Channel
   - Regular movements such as walks /jog/swim/any sports/tailored exercise program. Discuss with your physiotherapist/exercise physiologist/a personal trainer or contact Fr Jaycee for support to develop your own exercise program on Jaycee.Napoles@cam.org.au

3. Or Join the Caritas Long walk for Water for inspiration: The Long Walk for Water | Caritas Australia’s Lent Appeal

4. - Adequate hydration

5. - Managing underlying health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure to prevent complications that may lead to glaucoma.

6. - Avoiding harmful habits: smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of glaucoma and other eye disease.

For more information on this topic, please see Home | Glaucoma Australia.

If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure and would like to know more on how to manage it better through lifestyles changes, please contact Trinh Nguyen – Wellbeing Advisor on 0403 560 873 or Trinh.DNguyen@cam.org.au

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