Glaucoma Management
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease which, left unchecked, damages the optic nerve. Glaucoma can be unnoticed for years because there are typically no noticeable symptoms. Because of the asymptomatic nature of Glaucoma, it is the second leading cause of blindness in America.
Glaucoma is characterized by an abnormally high pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure). If left untreated, this increase in pressure can lead to a progressive loss of vision beginning with a loss of peripheral vision, continuing to a complete loss of sight.
Chronic Open Angle
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It occurs when the pressure inside the eye rises, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. The condition often develops over many years without causing pain or other noticeable symptoms - so you may not experience vision loss until the disease has progressed.
Symptoms that you could be developing glaucoma include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, halo effects around lights, and painful or reddened eyes. People at high risk include those who are over the age of 40, diabetic, near-sighted, African-American, or who have a family history of glaucoma.
Your Goodman Eye Cener physician will test your visual acuity and visual field as well as the pressure in your eye. Regular eye exams help to monitor the changes in your eyesight and to determine whether you may develop glaucoma.
Once diagnosed, glaucoma can be controlled. Treatments to lower pressure in the eye include non-surgical methods such as prescription eye drops and medications, laser therapy, and surgery.
Angle Closure Glaucoma
Our eyes are filled with a fluid (the aqueous) that is produced in the ciliary body and drains through the trabecular meshwork. In a healthy eye, the rates of fluid production and drainage are equal, and pressure within the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP) remains stable. In patients with glaucoma, fluid is produced faster than it drains and/or the internal drainage channels are defective, and subsequently there is high pressure in the eye. This can cause vision loss and eventually blindness.
Approximately 1 in 10 glaucoma patients have acute angle closure glaucoma. This type of glaucoma occurs when the trabecular meshwork becomes blocked. Patients experience a sudden rise in intraocular pressure that frequently causes blurred vision, severe pain, colored halos, reddened eyes, and nausea or vomiting. Immediate treatment is critical.
Treatment involves making an incision in the iris to restore the proper flow of aqueous fluid (an iridectomy or iridotomy) or creating a new, clear channel in the sclera (the white part of the eye) for the fluid to travel through (a trabeculectomy). Patients are often given medications in addition to these procedures to ensure that the glaucoma is kept under control.
Detection and Treatment of Glaucoma
Glaucoma is normally detected during routine eye examinations and underscores the importance of routine checks by a skilled professional. The doctors at Goodman Eye Medical Center are highly trained eye care specialists. Glaucoma screening is an integral part of our routine comprehensive eye examination.
Goodman Eye Medical Center offers state of the art diagnostic equipment to diagnose the symptoms of glaucoma and its effects such as loss of peripheral vision. The investment in our new vision center includes addition of diagnostic lasers by Ellex, Inc and Humphrey’s computerized visual field tester. Additionally, The Ellex medical glaucoma laser has been added to give treatment to glaucoma patients who do not respond to medication alone.
There are no currently known cures for glaucoma, but with early diagnosis and proper treatment, it can usually be managed to slow or eliminate its effects. Eye pressure for most glaucoma patients is controlled by medication.
