When I visited Hill Health Center on Friday to cover a special glaucoma screening, I learned that African Americans and Latinos get the eye disease, which can lead to blindness if not treated, at twice the rate of whites. So I — of 100 percent northern European stock — was surprised when I got whisked in to be screened myself, after mentioning a bit of family history to Bud Grant, who’s with the federally funded screening project.
I had casually mentioned to Grant that my mother had taken eye drops for glaucoma for many years.
“It’s very hereditary, you should be screened today,” cautioned a woman working with Grant.
“This young lady should really be tested,” Grant said to the clinic staff, including medical students Christina Prescott and Maggie Hatcher (pictured), referring to me (“young lady”!)
“To ‘convict’ someone of glaucoma we need four pieces of ‘evidence,’” said James Boorman, an ophthalmology technician at the health center’s eye clinic: “funny-looking optic nerves, family history, visual field loss, and pressure.”
I do have poor peripheral vision, but I’ve had it my whole life, so in my case it’s not considered a risk factor for glaucoma. My pressure was good, my optic nerves were pronounced “beautiful,” so the only risk factor I have is that family history. Not too much to worry about, but good to keep on top of. Boorman reminded me to get an annual eye exam, and I was “released.”
Meanwhile, Bud Grant was signing people up for the screening, which was the first of many the Hill Health Center is planning: people like Haydée DÃaz (pictured) who lives in the Hill and has already been diagnosed with glaucoma. She’s on medication and was coming in for a check up.
Grant said nobody knows why glaucoma is more prevalent in black and Hispanic people than whites and Asians. “Risk factors include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity. There’s obviously some metabolic connection, but we don’t know what it is. With newer drugs and surgery, more people can be treated, to prevent further deterioration and save someone’s sight.”
He added that in addition to preventing the tragedy of blindness, diagnosing and treating glaucoma early saves the federal government big bucks. “If we can prevent someone from going blind and having to go on disability, we benefit the patient and we benefit our society. Each person diagnosed in their mid-40s costs the government about a million dollars.” He works with the Congressional Caucus Glaucoma Foundation.
Dr. Susan Forster, medical director of the health center’s ophthalmology service, organized the screening (and praised my healthy optical nerves). “The first patient we saw today had a positive screen,” she exclaimed with satisfaction. “He’s coming back in two weeks for a complete exam, and if he has glaucoma, we can treat him right here.”
To find out about future screening dates, call the Hill Health Center at 503‑3230.
