Glaucoma is an eye disease when your optic nerves are damaged and vision is loss occurs. Finding and treating glaucoma early is important to prevent blindness.
Glaucoma can be hard to notice because sometimes the only symptom is vision loss.
Peripheral (Side) Vision loss is where glaucoma can be noticed at first. Many times this will only happen in one eye and your other eye will compensate and goes unnoticed and untreated.
Age can increase the risk for glaucoma especially after the age of 40.
Types
Open Angle Glaucoma – This is the most common type of Glaucoma. It is where optic nerve damage is caused a little bit at a time slowly leading to vision loss and blindness
Closed Angle Glaucoma – This is where fluid is being blocked in the eye causing pressure to build up in the eye. This can result in an emergency acute close-angle glaucoma where medical attention is needed immediately.
Diagnoses
As part of a full eye exam your doctor will check for Glaucoma by checking peripheral vision, measuring eye pressure, dilation and taking retinal photos to monitor changes around the rim of the optic nerve. Visual fields screening helps measure peripheral vision changes and signs of Glaucoma.
Treatments
Open Angle Glaucoma is treated with eye drops. Typically the effect of glaucoma cannot be reversed and treatment plans are designed to slow and stop the more damage to the optic nerve. Continual use of eye drops is important to stop continued vision loss.
Schedule an eye exam today if you think you may be suffering from Glaucoma:
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