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My Glaucoma, My Design calls on people to share their stories and photos of how they manage their glaucoma -
Select stories will be shared by Super Bowl MVP, Von Miller on social media
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Initiative launches on World Sight Day and the one-year anniversary of Allergan’s signature glaucoma campaign, My Glaucoma
My Glaucoma, My Design calls on people to share their stories and photos of how they manage their glaucomaGlaucoma is characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), the fluid pressure inside the eye. IOP is the only treatable risk factor for glaucoma. If left untreated, glaucoma patients continue to progress leading to vision loss and ultimately blindness.
“Earlier this year, I partnered with Allergan to help bring awareness to the My Glaucoma campaign. I don’t have glaucoma, but I struggled with vision-related issues when I was young and that is why I have a passion for encouraging people to be proactive in taking control of their eye health,” said Von Miller. “I never realized how serious glaucoma can be and that uncontrolled eye pressure is the only treatable risk factor for glaucoma. I’m proud to be continuing my partnership with Allergan and taking the campaign to another level by educating people living with glaucoma so they can work with their doctors to design treatment plans that help lower eye pressure.”
People can share their My Glaucoma, My Design stories by going to the My Glaucoma Facebook page and submitting a photo along with a short description on how they are managing their glaucoma. Miller will select a few of his favorite stories to feature across Allergan and Miller’s social channels. These individuals will also receive a personalized video message from Miller. This initiative aims at addressing the lack of awareness and education around the seriousness of glaucoma for people living with glaucoma and their caregivers.
While current eye drop therapies can be effective to lower IOP, many patients struggle to administer their drops properly and consistently. In fact, based on a 71 patient study looking at eye drop instillation technique only 28% of people were able to instill eye drops correctly. Additionally, one small study showed people with glaucoma are at a 3 times greater risk of falls and 6 times greater risk for automobile accidents.
“When we initially launched My Glaucoma, we wanted to reinforce that glaucoma is not just a part of aging and that it is a serious disease associated with elevated eye pressure that cannot be taken lightly,” said Ramin Valian, Vice President, Interventional Glaucoma and Reimbursement, AbbVie. “With My Glaucoma, My Design, we are bringing to light patient stories and sharing resources that people living with glaucoma can use to ensure they are taking care of their disease and having informed treatment conversations with their eye doctor about lowering their eye pressure.”
My Glaucoma launched on World Sight Day 2019 with a survey designed to help people understand the burden of living with glaucoma and empower those with the disease and their caregivers to feel comfortable speaking with their doctor about a treatment plan that fits their lifestyle. During Glaucoma Awareness Month in 2020, Von Miller, partnered with Allergan to challenge people to learn more about the seriousness of glaucoma via an online quiz and shared his personal story about his vision-related issues. Please visit www.MyGlaucoma.com for more information.
