Loss of vision can be prevented through regular eye examinations. It’s important that you understand what glaucoma is and what you can do to prevent unnecessary vision loss!
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the second leading causes of blindness in adults in the United States. Most people think of glaucoma as one disease. Actually, it is a group of diseases that causes damage to the optic nerve, a bundle of more than a million nerve fibers at the back of your eyes. This nerve is like a “cable” that transmits “pictures” from your eyes to your brain. If you have glaucoma and it is not treated appropriately, the damage to the optic nerve can result in loss of vision and blindness.
According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, the most common type of glaucoma affects about 3 million Americans – and about half of them don’t know it! These people may be unaware that they have glaucoma, as there may be no obvious symptoms in the early stages. However, damage to the optic nerve may be occurring – as pressure builds in the eye because fluid isn’t draining properly.
When damage to the optic nerve occurs, blind spots develop. By the time someone is aware of these blind spots, the optic nerve has been significantly damaged.
The good news is that early detection and treatment by your ophthalmologist or eye doctor is the key to preventing nerve damage and blindness. The Glaucoma Research Foundation recommends that everyone should have their eyes tested at:
- ages 35 and 40
- age 40 to age 60 every two to four years
- after age 60, every one to two years
They also recommend that anyone with high risk factors (see below) be tested every year or two after age 35.
Who is at Risk for Glaucoma?
Everyone is at risk. Anyone, at any age, can have glaucoma. But, some people are at greater risk such as:
- Anyone over the age of 60
There are several other risk factors including:
- Elevated eye pressure
- Spanish ancestry
- Farsightedness or nearsightedness
- Past eye injuries
- Thinner central corneal thickness
- Systemic health problems, including diabetes, migraine headaches, and poor circulation
The National Eye Institute (NEI) notes that studies show that glaucoma is:
- Five times more likely to occur in African Americans than in Caucasians
- About four times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans than in Caucasians
- Fifteen times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans between the ages of 45-64 than in Caucasians of the same age group.
For this reason, the NEI recommends that everyone over the age of 60 and African Americans over the age of 40 have comprehensive eye examinations.
How is Glaucoma Detected?
Seeing your ophthalmologist and having regular eye exams is the best way to detect glaucoma. It is estimated that 60-70% of glaucoma cases are detected during routine screening. Since the risk of glaucoma increases as you grow older, regular eye examinations are an important part of protecting your vision. We recommend annual eye examinations beginning at age 55, or age 40 for patients with a family history of the disease.
Many people think that just checking the eye pressure will determine if you have glaucoma. This isn’t true, although having elevated eye pressure is a risk factor.
To diagnose glaucoma, a complete eye examination is required which would include:
- Tonometry – measuring your intraocular pressure
- Gonioscopy – inspecting the drainage angle of your eye
- Ophthalmoscopy – evaluating any optic nerve damage
- Visual Field Testing or Perimetry – testing your peripheral vision
Depending on the results of these tests, taking photographs of your optic nerve or other computerized imaging such as Optical Coherence Tomography may also take place.
It’s important to remember that testing isn’t just done once – it must be repeated at regular intervals to monitor any changes in your eyes. Since glaucoma damage usually can’t be reversed, it’s important for the health of your eyes to detect the earliest signs of problems – so that treatment can be initiated to minimize potential vision loss.
With our aging population, the number of people with glaucoma is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Fortunately, early detection and rigorous adherence to treatment will be the keys to preserving vision.
Overview of Glaucoma
Open Angle Glaucoma
Medical Treatment for Open Angle Glaucoma
Laser Treatment for Open Angle Glaucoma
Surgery for Open Angle Glaucoma
Narrow Angle Glaucoma
Laser Treatment for Narrow Angle Glaucoma
Neovascular Glaucoma
Inflammatory Glaucoma
