Q & A FEW EARLY SIGNS FOR GLAUCOMA; DETECTION REQUIRES TEST.

One in every 30 people people 40 and older, or between 2 million and 3 million Americans, develop glaucoma, a group of diseases usually associated with increased pressure within the eye. Some eventually become blind.

Yet, 90 percent of the time, glaucoma diagnosed early enough doesn't have to lead to vision loss.

In an effort to spread awareness about eye diseases, the San Francicso-based American Academy of Ophthamology has launched Glaucoma 2001, an educational outreach program involving more than 4,200 eye doctors nationwide.

The academy and ophthamologist Dr. M. Roy Wilson, dean of the College of Medicine at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and professor of ophthamology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, provided the following information.

For additional information and a possible referral to an eye-care professional, call the Glaucoma 2001 Helpline at [phone] or visit the academy's Website at http://www.eyenet.org.

What are some signs or symptoms of glaucoma?

In the early stages of glaucoma, there are few signs or symptoms. In glaucoma's later stages, however, symptoms can include the eye's inability to adjust to darkened rooms, difficulty focusing on up-close work, rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights, a frequent need to change prescription glasses and loss of peripheral vision. So, unless you test for glaucoma specifically, you won't recognize glaucoma until it's in the late stage.

How many people become blind due to glaucoma?

Between 89,000 and 120,000 people are blind from glaucoma. It accounts for between 9 percent and 12 percent of all blindness cases, making it the leading cause of blindness.

Who does glaucoma seem to target?

Risk factors include those with one or more of the following conditions: diabetic; very nearsighted; related to someone with glaucoma; white, age 50 and older; and African-American, age 35 and older. Though researchers suspect a genetic tendency, no one really knows why African-Americans are four to five times more likely than whites to develop glaucoma.

How is glaucoma detected?

Only a complete eye exam that includes dilated pupils and other specialized tests can adequately diagnose the disease. Ophthamologists recommend regular eye exams every three to five years, and more frequent exams if you're at risk.