Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness.

This condition occurs when fluid builds up slowly increasing pressure within the eye, which damages the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain. Glaucoma is a progressive, irreversible condition.

Virtually everyone is at risk, and for those who already have it – only half of them know it. Symptoms can take years to appear, and the earliest symptom is a loss of peripheral vision. By the time objects appear out of focus, the disease is already quite advanced.

Glaucoma screening is the best way to identify the disease early and manage its symptoms and prevent blindness.

Key components of glaucoma testing include:

• Visual Field Testing – your visual field is the total area you can see when focusing on a central point. We offer various advanced computerized equipment for the most appropriate and accurate testing. Changes in your visual field can be related to damage to your central nervous system due to conditions like diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration, and others.

• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) – this noninvasive, high-resolution imaging technique is used to gather detailed images of the retina, optic nerve, and cornea. These images help your doctor examine tiny details of the eye’s structure that can influence your ocular health.

Glaucoma treatments include eyedrops to help lower pressure inside the eye, and noninvasive laser treatments can open clogged drainage tubes in the back of the eye to relieve ocular pressure.

Preserving your vision is crucial to maintaining your quality of life. Make sure your annual eye exam includes glaucoma testing. Our optometrists will diagnose and treat your glaucoma while answering any questions you may have. Find out more by calling 20/20 Eye Care in Huntsville, Alabama, at (256) 536-4489, or to request an appointment.