Evaluating the Effectiveness of Education in Improving Public Knowledge and Awareness of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a neuropathic disorder that causes structural and functional damage to the optic nerve head and leads to visual field loss.[1] It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and the second leading cause of blindness after cataract.[2,3] It is the cause of blindness in 2.5 million people worldwide (6.6% of the world’s blind population).[4] Despite the serious implications of glaucoma, there is a limited level of public awareness regarding it. Nearly 90% of Iranian patients with glaucoma are unaware of their disease, reflecting the low level of public awareness.[5] Raising public awareness and educating people, particularly glaucoma patients, plays an important role in glaucoma prevention and treatment.