Many people have often heard of glaucoma, but may not completely understand what the disease is, or just how serious it can be. Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes that is caused by a buildup of excess fluid and pressure within the eye. This additional pressure can damage the optic nerve and cause changes in vision, and even blindness.

Identifying, diagnosing, and treating glaucoma quickly can help reduce the overall danger to your eyesight. If you think that you may have glaucoma, contact our offices to schedule an appointment today. There are a number of tests that we can perform in our office to identify the presence and progression of the disease.

Types of Glaucoma

There are two basic types of glaucoma, and it can be important to understand both so that you know more about your treatment options. Informed patients often help to guide and follow their treatment plans, so make sure to ask our staff any questions that you have.

• Open-Angle Glaucoma – This type of glaucoma is the most common. The progression of open-angle glaucoma is generally slow and can be caused by the inability of the eye to properly drain. As more fluid is added to the eye, the pressure can slowly begin to build. Fortunately, this type of glaucoma can be caught at your regular eye exams, so it is important to go to your regular appointments to be screened.

• Angle-Closure Glaucoma – This type of glaucoma is caused when the iris is located close to the drainage angle of the eye. Sometimes the iris can block the drainage angle. If the iris is partially obstructing this drain, the pressure may build and subside, or build slowly. However, if the iris completely blocks the drainage angle, pressure can rapidly rise within the eye. This is considered a true emergency, and you need to be seen immediately. Usually, this condition is identified by a rapid change in eyesight, eye pain, sudden headache, and vomiting.
  
  

Testing for Glaucoma

When you come into our offices, the staff at City Eyes Optometry Center will make sure to explain the tests that we are doing and why we do them. There are five very common tests that we use to determine the presence and significance of glaucoma.

We will perform an initial screening to see if you are in a category that may have increased risk for glaucoma. This includes your age, ethnicity, family history, those with an eye injury, or people who have used steroids.

A comprehensive glaucoma screening includes:

• Tonometry – This measures the pressure in the eye with a small puff of air that is directed at the eye. Eye pressure can be unique to each person, so monitoring this measurement over time can help with early detection.

• Ophthalmoscopy – This procedure is completed by dilating the pupil and then being able to look and examine the optic nerve. If there is an issue here, our staff will continue to investigate the cause.

• Perimetry – This is a test that measures your field of vision. Glaucoma can often affect our ability to see certain areas, so checking the peripheral vision can be very important.

• Gonioscopy – This test determines the angle where the iris meets the cornea. A special contact lens is placed on the eye that allows our staff to see if the angle between the iris and cornea is closed.

• Pachymetry – This test measures the thickness of your cornea. A simple, painless probe is placed on the front of the eye to measure the cornea.

Overview

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for eye patients. Call today to schedule an appointment and let our staff make sure that your eyes are healthy and that we protect your vision for years to come!