Glaucoma is, unfortunately, a common problem—but knowing more about glaucoma can help you stay healthy and protect your vision. Here’s what you should know.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition that describes damage to the optic nerve. This damage is usually caused by increased pressure in the eyes. Damage to the optic nerve can result in vision loss and eventually permanent blindness. Unfortunately once healthy tissue in the optic nerve is damaged, it cannot be repaired.
How is glaucoma detected?
Some of the most common tests used to detect glaucoma include a visual acuity test, a visual field test, a dilated eye exam, and a tonometry test.
A visual acuity test is an eye chart test that checks how well you see at certain distances.
A visual field test checks your peripheral vision since lost peripheral vision is a sign of glaucoma.
A dilated eye exam lets your doctor more easily examine your retina, optic nerve, and other internal parts of the eye.
A tonometry test is used to measure the amount of pressure inside the eye. This may be the test most patients associate with glaucoma.
At Roholt Vision Institute we use other advanced measures to check for glaucoma. These tests include retinal tomography and optical coherence tomography. These advanced tests make it easier to catch glaucoma as quickly as possible.
Can glaucoma be treated?
Unfortunately glaucoma cannot be cured and damage to the optic nerve cannot be undone. However, caught early, the progression of the disease can be significantly slowed and vision loss can be prevented.
The treatment used will depend on the severity of the disease and the needs of the specific patient. Some treatments use eye drops, some require surgery, and some use lasers to stop the progression of the disease.
As people age, their risk for developing glaucoma significantly increase. This means it is essential to visit your eye doctor for regular checkups. Regular visits will make it substantially easier to detect glaucoma and stop it in its tracks.
To learn more about glaucoma and other eye conditions, schedule an appointment at Roholt Vision Institute.