What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that causes fluid build-up in the eye causing damage to the optic nerve. For people of 60 + years of age, glaucoma remains the leading cause of blindness, moreover, if you have a family history of glaucoma you often are at higher risk. The key to helping prevent blindness associated with this condition is early detection.

Due to the fact that often there are no signs of early-onset glaucoma, a regularly scheduled examination is all the more necessary. Breakthroughs in ocular imaging called optical coherence tomography or OCT for short, allows us to now look at detailed images of the nerve and fibers to detect signs of damage. The doctor will study eye pressure and study the optic nerve for signs of damage.

Are There Any Symptoms of Glaucoma?

Early stages show no symptoms and can only be detected via an ocular examination. Later on, people can develop blurry vision, eye pain, headaches, nausea, or visual abnormalities such as halos or rings around lights.

How Is Glaucoma Treated?

Glaucoma treatment has advanced significantly in recent years. Your eye doctor will discuss your options and recommend what is best for you, such as one or more of the following treatments:

  • Prescription eye drops
  • Laser surgery
  • Goniotomy
  • Glaucoma implant surgery
  • Glaucoma filtering surgery

Physicians Eye Clinic of Laredo cannot stress enough how important follow-up visits are for glaucoma, as it is a lifelong condition. Any neglect of medication on treatments necessary will lead to vision loss that cannot be restored.