God's word instructs us to have grateful hearts. No matter what's going on in our lives, we should begin and end each day with a list of things for which we are thankful.
It really puts things in perspective. Near the top of my list is my appreciation of being able to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.
Our eyesight is such a gift! Thank God for it! The scriptures tell us our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must take care of them. That means taking care of our eyes. Lots of us don't really give our eye health much thought until it's too late.
Did you know blindness can sneak up on you? Millions of Americans are robbed of their eyesight and don't even realize it when it's happening.
It's called glaucoma. Most of us have heard the word, but don't really know what it is. Basically glaucoma is when fluid builds up in your eye and presses on the optic nerve, which disturbs, then destroys your eyesight.
Unfortunately, there are no symptoms or warning signs, so lots of people are completely clueless that they are going blind!
Some people may notice that their side vision isn't as good as it used to be. Then they may notice their field of vision narrows even more. But believe it or not, even under those circumstances, people often don't go to the doctor.
As terrible as that is, the good news is glaucoma is totally preventable with a simple little screening test. Any eye doctor can perform one. It only takes a few minutes. It doesn't hurt a bit.
The doctor just puts some drops in your eye to dilate it and that way can take a look at your optic nerve to make sure it's in good shape. Like most medical problems, if caught early, it's very treatable.
Glaucoma screenings are not expensive! Whatever you do, don't let the cost of the exam keep you from getting it. If you don't have insurance, call an eye doctor and ask how much they will charge if you pay out of pocket.
Oftentimes they will quote you a lower price than they charge for people with insurance. Also you might be able to get financial assistance by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, or visit Medicare website for more information.
To find out about other possible financial assistance for eye care, visit National Eye Institute financial aid help page. For more information about glaucoma, visit NEI glacuoma page, or call NEI at 301–496–5248.
Most of us need a glaucoma screening once a year. Everyone should get them. People who are at the highest risk of getting glaucoma are African Americans over the age of 40, people with diabetes, and people with a family history of diabetes.
We are so blessed to have the ability to see, and additionally blessed to have such wonderful technology to keep our eyesight in tact. Let's do the responsible thing and take advantage of these readily available glaucoma tests.