Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma Treatment
Commonly called the “silent thief of sight,” glaucoma often goes undetected until it has already caused irreversible vision loss. In fact, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma is responsible for so many cases of vision loss because patients usually experience no symptoms or issues, until the condition has progressed too far for treatment.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is not a singular disease, but rather describes a condition with several causes that raises intraocular (inside the eye) pressure, damages the optic nerve and ultimately leads to permanent vision loss.
The purpose of a comprehensive eye exam is to evaluate your visual acuity, eye health, and eye function.
To do this, our optometrist will ask you about your medical history, examine the appearance of your eyes and their internal structures, and test your visual acuity using a variety of tests.
Get Glaucoma Treatment in Katy, Tx.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma. When glaucoma is detected early enough to prevent vision loss, there are a few different treatment that can help manage the disease. Treatment usually begins with oral medication and medicated eye drops intended reduce the production of fluid in the eye or to assist with the draining of excess fluid.
If medication is ineffective, patients are usually recommended as candidates for a laser surgery procedure which allows the eye to better drain fluids. If laser procedures prove ineffective, there are other surgical treatment options available to help patients preserve their eyesight.
What causes Glaucoma to develop?
Glaucoma develops when ducts inside the eye, responsible for draining the eye’s aqueous fluid, become blocked or do not function properly. Depending on the type of glaucoma, there are several different factors which contribute to its development, including:
- Increased Intraocular Pressure
- Suffering an Eye Injury
- Blocked Blood Vessels
- Inflammatory Diseases
- Eye Infections
- Congenital Disorders
Individuals within certain groups are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma. These risk factors include genetics and race, individuals over the age of 60, family history, certain medications, diabetes, and other eye disorders.
What are the symptoms of Glaucoma?
Glaucoma Diagnosis: During a comprehensive vision exam, our optometrist uses a test called tonometry to measure the intraocular pressure of a patient’s eye. A pressure which is higher than normal usually signifies glaucoma.
Treatable patients normally experience no symptoms. Once the disease has progressed, it can cause:
- Loss of Peripheral Vision
- Blurry or Dim Vision
- Tunnel Vision
- Halos or Auras
- Sudden Loss of Vision
- Eye Pain
Most treatable cases of glaucoma are first detected and diagnosed during a patient’s annual comprehensive eye exam. To ensure the early detection and treatment of glaucoma, it is important that patients have regular vision exams. The American Optometric Association recommends healthy adults have at least one exam per year, unless otherwise recommended by a medical professional.
Choose an optometrist and clinic that cares about your vision.
Dr. Sanwari and every member of the staff at Innovision Family Eyecare is dedicated to the health of your eyes.
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