Glaucoma – 5 Things You Need to Know to Save Your Vision

Glaucoma isn’t something most people think about before they experience a problem with their vision. However, if you wait until you experience vision loss, it’s already too late. There is no treatment that restores vision lost to glaucoma. This leading cause of blindness in the United States requires an early diagnosis in order to get the proper treatment to preserve your vision. Educating yourself on the causes and risks of glaucoma is the number one way to protect your eyesight from this damaging condition.

What is It?
The optic nerve carries the images we see from our eye to our brain. Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause the fluid in our eyes to drain improperly. This causes pressure buildup that can damage the optic nerve. If you have increased pressure in one or both of your eyes, you do not necessarily have glaucoma. Glaucoma is present when the optic nerve is damaged from this pressure.

Who is at Risk?
If you have eyes, you’re at risk for glaucoma. However, the highest risk individuals are people over 60, African-Americans, and people with a family history of this disease. There are approximately three million people suffering from glaucoma in the United States alone. If you meet any of these risk factors, you should discuss screening options with your eye-care professional as soon as possible.

Are there Symptoms?
The scary part of this condition is the absence of early symptoms. In the beginning, a glaucoma sufferer will experience no symptoms at all. By this point, damage is already done to the optic nerve. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, a glaucoma sufferer will begin losing their peripheral vision. This vision loss will slowly work its way into the middle of the vision field, finally resulting in complete blindness.

How is It Diagnosed?
Your eye-care professional can run a series of tests to detect the presence of glaucoma. This comprehensive exam consists of a visual acuity test that tests your long-distance vision, a dilated eye exam that allows your eye-care specialist to view the inside of your eye, a tonometry test to measure the amount of pressure in your eye, and a pachymetry that measures the thickness of your cornea.

How is It Treated?
There are medications that can slow or stop the effects of glaucoma. The regular use of these eye drops or pills will control the fluid pressure in your eye. Laser surgery is another option for glaucoma sufferers. This procedure regulates the flow of eye fluid throughout your eye, relieving pressure on the optic nerve. However, both of these treatments only affect further damage to the nerve. Any damage that is already present cannot be treated.

By educating yourself and visiting your eye-care professional regularly, you can prevent vision loss due to glaucoma. Early detection and treatment is the only way to avoid permanent loss of sight. If you are at high risk for this disease, don’t wait until it’s too late. Schedule an eye exam today.

Author Pam Johnson is a nurse in the optometry ward of her hospital and deals extensively with glaucoma patients. She obtained her degree from one of the Top 10 Online Accelerated Nursing Programs