You may have heard of glaucoma, but are you familiar with the implications of this eye disease and how it is diagnosed and treated at Family Eyecare in Brighton? The first thing to understand about glaucoma is that it forms and progresses “silently.” This is to say that you won't notice any symptoms during its early stages. By the time you become aware of any signs, you will likely have already experienced some degree of vision loss or eye damage, either of which might not be reversible. That is why we suggest our eye exam in Brighton for our valued patients once per year. Early detection is closely linked to successful treatment.
Glaucoma is caused by an imbalance between the amount of fluid that your eyes create, and the amount that drains. When this occurs, the pressure inside your eyes increases. If it gets too high, it can lead to damaging your optic nerves. In the worst case scenario, it might even result in blindness. But with timely diagnosis and treatment, you won't have to worry about that. Our eye exam in Brighton detects glaucoma by first using a test called tonometry. This measures your internal eye pressure, thereby providing a reliable barometer of whether you may have the disease. Additional testing may be done to supplement tonometry, and to allow our optometrist to diagnose you accurately.
So what happens if our eye exam in Brighton does reveal that you have glaucoma? Well, the strategy will depend on just how far the disease has progressed, if there is any damage to your optic nerve, or your vision has been impacted. In mild cases, special eyedrops might be all you need to reduce the amount of fluid your eyes produce. That will correct the underlying imbalance between fluid production and drainage. Other options, typically for moderate to severe glaucoma, include laser surgery in order to make your eyes more efficient at draining fluid; and microsurgery to create a new channel from which the fluid can drain. But don't delay. If it has been more than 12 months since your last eye exam, call us right away and schedule yours.
By Family Eyecare of Brighton
December 18, 2015