Know Your Risk For Eye Disease
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: August 2, 2007
Eye doctors say more than half of us will get an eye disease as we age, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration or cataracts. Early detection gives us our best chance of avoiding the most serious complications.
You need to know your risk factors for eye disease. They include age, family history of eye disease, and ethnic background. Glaucoma expert Dr. Ruth Williams says African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are at significantly higher her risk of developing glaucoma. Macular degeneration, on the other hand, is the most common cause of severe vision loss in Caucasians.
To improve your chances of coping well with age-related eye diseases, the American Academy of Ophthamology recommends a comprehensive eye exam at the age of 40. Log onto
www.geteyesmart.org for more information on eye care and eye diseases.
You need to know your risk factors for eye disease. They include age, family history of eye disease, and ethnic background. Glaucoma expert Dr. Ruth Williams says African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are at significantly higher her risk of developing glaucoma. Macular degeneration, on the other hand, is the most common cause of severe vision loss in Caucasians.
To improve your chances of coping well with age-related eye diseases, the American Academy of Ophthamology recommends a comprehensive eye exam at the age of 40. Log onto
www.geteyesmart.org for more information on eye care and eye diseases. 
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.