Glaucoma Testing & Treatment

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.

It's caused by fluid build-up and increased pressure within the eye that damages the optic nerve that progressively worsens your vision. This disease can cause severe, irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

In many cases, appropriate control and treatment can help prevent further damage to the eyes and protect your vision. EyeCare Specialties Pediatric & Adult offers several treatments to help address glaucoma. Learn more about the treatments we provide and contact us to schedule an appointment.

Glaucoma diagnosis

The 2 Main Types of Glaucoma

grandfather wearing glasses holding his granddaughter

Open-angle glaucoma: the most common type. It is a lifelong condition that accounts for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases.
Angle-closure glaucoma: a rare form of the disease which requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the angle is closed in many or most areas between the iris and cornea, which reduces fluid drainage and increases eye pressure.

Glaucoma: The Sneaky Thief of Sight

There is a reason glaucoma is called “the sneaky thief of sight”--half the people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it! Meaning, they may not have symptoms in the early stages.

At EyeCare Specialties Pediatric & Adult, we diagnose and help preserve your vision with cutting-edge glaucoma treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.

If you have a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma, contact us today.

optometrist in Wexford

What are the Signs of Glaucoma?

glaucoma signs

As mentioned earlier, glaucoma usually shows no symptoms in its early stages. When signs do manifest, it's usually loss of tunnel vision or peripheral vision. Unfortunately, by the time vision loss has occurred, it cannot be reversed.

That said, the less common angle-closure glaucoma does show a sudden onset of symptoms, including:

Extreme eye pain
Eye redness
Blurred vision
Nausea

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek prompt diagnosis and treatment by contacting EyeCare Specialties Pediatric & Adult in Wexford or visiting your nearest emergency room.

Who's at Risk for Glaucoma?

Age 40 +

The prevalence of glaucoma increases with age, with most glaucoma patients aged 40 and up. That said, there is a much rarer form of this disease (congenital glaucoma) that affects infants.
Family History & Ethnicity

Your risk for developing glaucoma is higher if you have a family history of the disease. Those of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American, and Indigenous Canadian descent have a higher risk of developing this disease.
Other Conditions

High myopia, hypertension and diabetes can increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
Eye Injury or Trauma

An eye injury, trauma or eye surgery can increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma.

Common Glaucoma Treatments

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, several treatments are available to prevent the progression of this sight-robbing condition. With the right care, you have a higher chance of managing your glaucoma and preserving your vision.

Common treatments include:

Eye Drops

Your optometrist will prescribe eye drops to help regulate pressure inside the eye by decreasing fluid production and/or improving drainage.

Laser Surgery

If eye drops aren’t doing enough to reduce intraocular pressure or intraocular temperature in open-angle glaucoma, laser surgery may be an option. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens up the drainage system in the eye to reduce pressure.

SLT is successful in 80% of cases and can reduce eye pressure by 20%.

Other Surgeries

If a laser procedure or eye drops do not lower eye pressure to the desired level, your eye doctor may recommend one of the following surgeries:

Incision Surgery
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
Glaucoma Drainage Implants

Glaucoma Testing Treatment FAQs

How does an eye doctor diagnose glaucoma?

Since glaucoma has no side effects early on, it is essential for people with a family history of risk factors for glaucoma to get tested. The following tests diagnose glaucoma:

Tonometry: measures the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure or IOP)
Ophthalmoscopy (dilated eye exam): examines the shape and color of the optic nerve
Perimetry: measures your field of vision
Gonioscopy: checks the angle where the iris meets the cornea
Pachymetry: determines the thickness of the cornea to better evaluate eye pressure.

What foods should you avoid if you have glaucoma?

The following are the foods every glaucoma patient should consider avoiding immediately. It should help keep your optic nerve healthy and minimize eye pressure.

Caffeine - certain studies show that caffeine contributes to increased intraocular pressure.
Saturated fats - a diet high in saturated fats can lead to weight gain, which not only increases intraocular pressure but also cholesterol levels.
Trans fats - try to limit your consumption of trans fats because they can also raise cholesterol levels
Salt - make sure to consume salt sparingly, as increased blood pressure can indirectly lead to intraocular pressure.

What percentage of glaucoma patients go blind?

About 60% of patients diagnosed with glaucoma will eventually lose some vision.

However, the rate of legal blindness among glaucoma patients is 5%. Getting effective treatment early on will greatly increase your ability to preserve and maximize your vision.

Patient Reviews

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- Apr. 12, 2024

It was immediate love at first sight! Not only did the elevator open to an enormous gorgeous space, ... Show Morebut I was greeted by a knowledgeable, welcoming team of Opticians at Eyecare. I arrived a little late after a difficult and stressful day, but they embraced me with open arms, and we got to work. This was my first visit so I had to complete some New Patient paperwork, however they helped me with completion so not to delay my time there. My evaluation with Nicole and Dr. Shuster was brief but quite thorough. It’s always a little nerve wracking when you’re meeting a new medical team, but They made me feel comfortable, listened and answered questions I had about my prescription and plan. Then came the fun part and my primary reason for scheduling with them! I was skeptical that they would not meet my expectations in terms of frame options, as I have been disappointed and looking for fun funky frames for over a year. Believe me when I say, I was pleasantly surprised! Suzanne who I had spoken with before my appt to confirm, listened to my preferences and had already set aside some frames for me to try. Then, despite me being there at the end of the night, Bailey and Cherie spent considerable time while I tried on as many frames as I could. Now, I’ll admit I am a tough critic and quite particular looking for specific shapes and dramatic colors. When you’ve worn glasses long enough, you know what you want. Well I may not have found what I thought I was looking for, but they opened my eyes to other options, and now I have to make a difficult decision on one or another, or maybe both! They offer a variety of high-end brands, but are reasonably priced, and they have some amazing bargains to take advantage of. Plus, they are open later, which is hard to find, and I am so thankful for, with my work schedule. They informed me that get new inventory pretty frequently which was music to my ears! Either way, I will be buying and will without a doubt be returning to work with this amazing team and selection of frames! I encourage all of you who have imperfect vision to go explore. I was referred by a very satisfied friend, and now I want to do the referring! If it’s your first time, they will guide you! I promise you will not regret it!