Glaucoma
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What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. It affects the optic nerve, the part of the eye that carries images we see to the brain. When damage to the optic nerve occurs, it can cause a gradual loss of peripheral vision without warning and often without symptoms. But some cases glaucoma can cause sudden vision loss as well as eye pain, headaches, and nausea. Early detection and treatment are the keys to preventing optic nerve damage and blindness from glaucoma. With early detection and continued treatment, vision can, in most cases, be saved.
Different types of glaucoma:
- Open angle glaucoma - the most common type in the United States.
- Closed/narrow angle glaucoma - a true eye emergency that unless treated quickly, can result in blindness.
- Secondary glaucoma - due to eye surgery, trauma, eye inflammation, other systemic disease like diabetes/hypertension.
- Congenital glaucoma - glaucoma present from birth or developed later in life due to other malformation.
Everyone has a risk for developing glaucoma, but the following may be increased risk factors:
- Advanced age
- Elevated eye pressure
- Family history of glaucoma
- Pre-existing thinning of the optic nerve
- Past eye injuries
- Thinner central corneal thickness
- Farsightedness or nearsightedness
- Health problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, migraine headache, and poor circulation
Low Tension glaucoma is a condition where the optic nerve is damaged even though the intraocular pressure is normal. A glaucoma screening that checks on the pressure of the eye is not sufficient to determine if one has glaucoma. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the best way to detect glaucoma at its earliest stage. The doctors at Honolulu Laser & Eye Clinic can diagnose glaucoma and other eye diseases in their earliest stages and provide proper treatment to prevent visual loss. Call us for more information and how we can help with your glaucoma.
Glaucoma evaluation consists of the following:
- Tonometry: measurement of your intraocular pressure
- Central Corneal Thickness: measurement of corneal thickness
- Gonioscopy: inspection of the drainage angle of your eye
- Ophthalmoscopy: evaluation to check for optic nerve damage
- Perimetry: Peripheral visual field evaluation
- Glaucoma optic nerve scan: Quantitative measurement of nerve thickness
How is glaucoma treated?
In general, optic nerve damage caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. Treatment is used to prevent further optic nerve damage by lowering the eye pressure in the eye.
- Medication, through the use eye drops and or oral medication
- Laser surgery
- Eye surgery
