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Prevent Blindness Provides Educational Resources, Materials and Support to Patients and Caregivers for January’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Non-profit Team, Protect against Blindness, Seeks to Elevate Awareness and Instruction of Glaucoma, A Foremost Result in of Blindness that Can Have an impact on Grown ups and Youngsters

CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Stop Blindness, the nation’s oldest voluntary eye overall health firm, is becoming a member of January’s National Glaucoma Consciousness Thirty day period by giving a wide variety of free academic and awareness-creating sources to assistance avert unnecessary vision loss from just one of the world’s top triggers of blindness.

The Countrywide Eye Institute defines glaucoma as a team of eye diseases that can trigger eyesight decline and blindness by harmful a nerve in the again of the eye called the optic nerve. This nerve sends facts from the eyes to the brain. Typically, glaucoma affects aspect eyesight (peripheral eyesight) initial. Late in the disease, glaucoma might trigger “tunnel vision.” In this affliction, the person can only see straight ahead.

Most glaucoma situations arise in grownups, but small children could also create the eye disease. Avert Blindness has declared 2022 as the Yr of Children’s Vision to raise consciousness and training on the certain eye well being problems that influence youngsters. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), classification of glaucoma may possibly be dependent on the age of onset. Congenital glaucoma is present at birth. Infantile glaucoma develops in between the ages of 1-24 months and glaucoma with onset after age 3 a long time is called juvenile glaucoma. Major congenital/most important childish glaucoma happens in the common population at a level of around 1 in 10,000 births, according to the AAPOS.

Also, the indicators for childhood glaucoma are unique than for grown ups. The Glaucoma Exploration Basis states that mother and father and caregivers ought to look for signs of congenital glaucoma that contain too much tearing, huge eyes, cloudy corneas and hiding from brilliant mild or squeezing of eyelids.

Children with juvenile glaucoma may possibly exhibit or talk they have vision decline, problems changing to the dark, head or eye pain, abnormal blinking or squeezing of the eyelids, and regularly red eyes.

“Glaucoma can manifest in all ages and is generally referred to as ‘The Sneak Thief of Sight’ due to the fact normally signs and symptoms seem slowly more than time,” claimed glaucoma specialist, Constance Okeke, MD, MSCE, Virginia Eye Consultants/CVP. “The vital to preventing significant vision reduction from glaucoma is to teach ourselves on the illness, and to make guaranteed both equally adults and children are identified and addressed early.”

As component of National Glaucoma Awareness Month, Dr. Okeke will be becoming a member of Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Protect against Blindness, for a new episode in the Concentrate on Eye Wellbeing Skilled Series. Dr. Okeke is an Ivy League, board-licensed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma and cataract surgery. She is a pioneer of micro-invasive glaucoma surgical treatment (MIGS) tactics. Dr. Okeke has been thoroughly printed in skilled literature on glaucoma, and wrote her initial e book “Developing Blocks of Trabectome Operation: A Move-by-Action Technique for Patient Assortment.” Her subsequent reserve, “The Glaucoma Guidebook” composed for glaucoma clients, will be coming out in the slide of 2022.

Avert Blindness also delivers the no-expense resource, “The Glaucoma Neighborhood,” in partnership with Responsum Health and fitness. To day, the Glaucoma Community has additional than 1,800 associates and proceeds to increase. This useful resource is available by means of a cellular app and internet site, and members have access to affected individual means that incorporate economic help plans, glaucoma assist groups, a chat purpose, a personalized newsfeed, and insightful glaucoma and eyecare content in 7 various languages. The Glaucoma Local community also has its possess Fb web site at: https://www.fb.com/glaucomacommunity.

Software partners for The Glaucoma Local community include things like the BrightFocus Foundation, Nationwide Health-related Affiliation (NMA) Ophthalmology Area, The Glaucoma Basis, and the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

For additional information and facts and components on glaucoma, together with truth sheets (accessible in English or Spanish), and sharable infographics, go to preventblindness.org/glaucoma. For information and facts on added financial guidance programs in English or Spanish, which include Medicare protection, go to https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-fiscal-guidance-information and facts/.

About Protect against Blindness
Started in 1908, Avert Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye overall health and safety group committed to preventing blindness and conserving sight. Centered on endorsing a continuum of eyesight treatment, Reduce Blindness touches the life of millions of individuals just about every yr via community and specialist instruction, advocacy, licensed eyesight screening and schooling, neighborhood and affected person company applications and study. These products and services are created achievable through the generous aid of the American public. Collectively with a network of affiliates, Avoid Blindness is dedicated to getting rid of preventable blindness in The united states. For much more information and facts, visit us at preventblindness.org, and stick to us on Fb, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Sarah Hecker, Avoid Blindness, 312.36.6035, [email protected]

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A Proclamation on National Physical Fitness And Sports Month, 2021

Despite the unprecedented challenges and disruptions of the past year, we continue to see examples of Americans finding innovative ways to stay active and healthy.  Some have moved their workouts into their living rooms or garages.  Others have taken up new sports.  Many have simply rediscovered the satisfaction of a walk through their neighborhood.  Despite this creativity, far too many people struggle to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives.  Socioeconomic disparities, lack of opportunities for safe play, and limited access to programs for increased activity are just a few of the inequities that many Americans face — inequities that have been further exacerbated by the pandemic.  During this National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we encourage all Americans to stay active for their health and wellbeing.  Whether by pursuing a more active lifestyle, making physical activity a priority and an essential part of everyday living, or supporting efforts in local communities that increase access to sports and physical fitness opportunities for all, participating in physical activities leads to a healthier lifestyle.

Physical activity is one of the best tools we have to help combat chronic diseases experienced by over half of all Americans.  Even a single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can boost your mood, sharpen your focus, reduce your stress, and improve your sleep.  More regular physical activity — over months or years — can contribute to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease, several types of cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

No matter our age or ability, the more that we can make regular physical activity and participation in sports a part of our lives, the better off both we and our Nation will be.  Greater amounts of physical activity can have positive effects in every stage of life and lead to better overall health outcomes for both children and adults, including those with disabilities.  The Department of Health and Human Services’ Move Your Way campaign provides helpful tips to encourage children and adults to meet the recommendations from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative provides a blueprint for building active communities to make it easier for all Americans to attain the physical activity they need, with a goal of getting 27 million more Americans physically active by 2027. 

By transcending differences and uniting in celebration of physical activity, healthy competition, and shared enjoyment, sports are a fun and engaging way to stay active and keep fit for people of all ages.  For our Nation’s youth, playing sports can also help to build confidence on and off the field, while team sports foster the added virtues of service to common causes and communal responsibility — win or lose, every game offers the opportunity to learn something new or hone your skills.  Every athletic challenge is an avenue to greater mental and physical resilience.  While social distancing has made participation in organized sports challenging, we can use this time to renew our focus on fundamental skills and training in preparation for a return to play, especially for young athletes. 

Our Nation can and must do more to make sure that every child has the opportunity to play sports and obtain the benefits that come with play, including greater physical fitness and better health.  As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we ensure equal access to sports and fitness activities for everyone.  To that end, my Administration continues to promote programs that provide opportunities for all of our young people to play sports — regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or neighborhood — in support of the National Youth Sports Strategy.

I encourage every American to discover an enjoyable exercise activity that fits into their daily routine.  It does not matter how you choose to be active — whether you are trying your hand at a new sport, exploring a local park, or going for a walk or a jog in your own neighborhood, physical activity holds the key to better health and wellness.  During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, let us all strive to be more active together.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2021 as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. I call upon the people of the United States to make daily physical activity a priority, to support efforts to increase access to sports opportunities in their communities, and to pursue physical fitness as an essential part of healthy living.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.