ST. PAUL, Minn. Glaucoma is a disease that silently steals a person's sight, as in the case of former Minnesota Twins star Kirby Puckett. That's why three organizations the Sight & Hearing Association, the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology and Phillips Eye Institute have teamed up to offer a free glaucoma screening at Southdale Mall from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, in conjunction with National Glaucoma Awareness Month.

Because glaucoma rarely has early symptoms, most people with the disease don't know they have it and may have lost a substantial amount of vision before it's detected, said Mary Bhavsar, M.D., an ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma. Once vision is lost this way, it cannot be restored.

If glaucoma is detected and treated early in its progression, added Dr. Bhavsar, it can usually be controlled before serious vision loss occurs. That's why, if you're at risk for glaucoma, you should have your eyes examined through dilated pupils at least every two years.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States affecting an estimated three million Americans, half of whom do not know they have the disease. It occurs when the normal fluid pressure inside the eye progressively increases, leading to optic nerve damage and reduced peripheral vision. As the disease worsens, the field of vision gradually narrows and blindness may result.

Risk factors for glaucoma include: